


Every Minute A Memory

by Living4LifesSake



Series: Lost In Love [4]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Family Dynamics, Friendship/Love, Gen, LawLu-Freeform, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-14 23:47:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 28,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29054646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Living4LifesSake/pseuds/Living4LifesSake
Summary: No one expects Law and Luffy to start dating, much less get married and be married successfully for over fifty years but that's just because they're not Law or Luffy. If they were, they would understand how their relationship could be so enduring, they would know that the world started and ended when they locked eyes, that every kiss they shared contained an eternal love and passion, and they possessed boundless strength if they were simply holding the other's hand.-A collection of tales that connect the past, present and future spanning a calendar year.
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s), Monkey D. Luffy & Mugiwara Kaizoku | Strawhat Pirates, Monkey D. Luffy/Trafalgar D. Water Law
Series: Lost In Love [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1951006
Comments: 16
Kudos: 45





	1. Midnight Wanderings

**Author's Note:**

> This is part four of an ongoing series, I would recommend reading part 1 and 2 in full before coming here. The chapters will either be a time-lapse piece like this one or it will be a one off drabble, all of them will be centered around that week in a calendar year, for example next week we'll be celebrating Robin, Vivi and Killer's birthdays.   
> This week: one night in Law's life for the first five decades he lived. 
> 
> Content Warnings will be listed at the beginning of every chapter. 
> 
> Content Warnings: Mentions of past depressive and suicidal thoughts

It’s well past his bedtime when Law slips out of the warm covers and onto the cold wood floor. 

He heads out of his own room to creep towards the bedroom at the end of the hall on socked feet. He eases the door open on well-oiled hinges, peeking his head into the room and the two people sleeping in the bed. After a moment, he whispers as loudly as he dares, “Mother.” 

When he doesn’t receive an answer, only the slightest shuffling of a figure in the bed, he whispers again, “Mother!”

A pair of golden eyes much like his own slide open, glowing faintly in the darkness. At the acknowledgement, he murmurs, “I can’t sleep.”

There’s a soft exhaled breath as she gets up, her auburn hair unbound and swishing around her shoulders in a fiery curtain that seems to glisten in the moonlight streaming in from the window. 

Father would usher him straight back to bed, claim that growing boys need rest, but Mother understands the restlessness he feels sometimes. She always claims that she gave him her eyes and the dark circles under them, passing along her insomniac tendencies. She grabs her thick robe from its hook on the wall, wrapping it around herself as she guides him out of the room, leaving his father asleep in the bed. 

In the kitchen, she doesn’t bother to turn on the lights, merely lights a candle as she places the kettle onto the stovetop to boil. Law stands on his tiptoes to grab two mugs from the cupboard, the special ones that have a filter you can remove to strain out the loose leaf tea from. It’s a familiar routine that they have, something special between the two of them that they share. 

He opens a small metal tin allowing a balmy, earthy smell to perfume the air and he scoops out two heaping teaspoons of dried chamomile flowers to put in each cup. When it’s ready, Mother pours the hot water into the cups for them to steep. They sit at the kitchen table and stare out the window, admiring the way the moonlight reflects off the polished cobblestones and the snow. 

The world is such a beautiful glistening white, it always is here, but it never feels more so than when they look at the freshly fallen snow which no one has made tracks through yet. Law’s favorite season is winter and he loves it even more in these quiet hours where everything is still and peaceful. Though he knows he needs sleep, the exhaustion always seems worth it when he gets to see the world like this, a time that few other humans ever experience.

They finish their tea without a word between them, leaving their mugs in the sink to wash in the morning. He stumbles a bit over tired feet and she picks him up, cradling him to her breast as she carries him back to his room. 

She lays him down, helping him snuggle under the thick wool covers, tucking the fabric around his feet to make sure he doesn't get cold. She places a gentle kiss to his forehead and whispers a good night. 

She gives him one final smile as she leaves the room and it’s the last thing he sees before he drifts off to sleep.

* * *

He’s sitting at one of the desks in the library, illuminated only by the lamp light as he goes over his notes. He’s got an exam in about seven hours and though he’s already finished his study guide, done three mock exams, color-coded his diagrams, gone over all his flashcards, killed a man earlier to make sure he could accurately place all of the nervous system, there’s always more work to be done.

Law is the youngest of his classmates by years, he’s not looking for a grade that will land him in the middle of the class, he’s going to be the best by a decent margin. That means that he has to put in the work, even if he has to stay awake all night to do it. 

From the corner of his eye, he sees a flash of color and scrambles to get away from the desk, lurching out of the chair in an attempt to flee but it’s too late.

A hand snags his hoodie, yanking him off his feet and he is swung under an arm. He hisses and snarls as he thrashes but it’s to no avail, he can’t break free from Doffy’s grip no matter what he tries. 

He gets carried out of the library and brought up the steps to the bedrooms but instead of being taken to his own room, he was brought up the third floor where there were only two bedrooms instead of the twenty that were both on the first and second floors. 

Law was thrown unceremoniously onto a large bed covered in lush furs to ward off the chill and he spews curses at the rough treatment. Rosinante gasped awake at the intrusion though he relaxed when he saw it was only his older brother and adopted pre-teen son. 

He lifted up his covers so he could tuck Law underneath, cuddling Law close with a sleepy smile then looked over to Doffy, murmuring, “What are you waiting for, an invitation?”

Doffy hummed, shuffling closer, kicking his slippers off and climbing into the bed as well, positioning himself on the other side of Law. Law regarded his advances warily, there was something about Doflamingo that always felt off to him however Cora didn’t seem to be bothered so he didn’t make a fuss.

Law doesn’t know much about what the two brothers endured in their lives. The others only have whispered rumors as well but they all know that whatever happened was terrible. There was a time before Law when Rosinante was mute and he’s seen Doflamingo napping during the daytime, only to wake up and reach for a bottle or chase after highs with a desperation that betrays the dark nature of what he sees when he closes his eyes. 

A few years ago, Law wouldn’t give a fuck about whatever traumatic event they went through, his own life had been hard enough to cull an apathy for other people’s suffering, except these two brothers had saved his life. Cora had become like a father to him, always doting with a love that had overpowered Law’s cold exterior, and Doffy had been there the whole way, searching just as tirelessly as Law for a cure and encouraging him to pursue his medical degree. He had lost his first family but it seemed like there was a second- albeit far more dysfunctional and psychotic- family for him to be a part of. 

Family meant that there were expectations to be upheld, and Law wasn’t one who was in the habit of letting people down. Which meant he had to get high marks on his exam tomorrow. He didn’t know why Doffy dragged him here, instead of taking him to his own room so he could continue studying. He understood that people needed sleep to live but he knew from trial and error he could go another sixteen hours without sleep before it started to affect his mental functioning. 

Rosinante had already fallen back asleep and Doflamingo was laying still on the other side of them. In the dark he can’t see if Doffy is actually sleeping but he thinks if he’s careful about it, he can crawl over Cora without waking the other man up. He sits up slowly, about to pull his body out from under the covers when Doffy murmurs, “Don’t even think about it.”

Law lays back down quickly, his cheeks flaming with embarrassment, feeling like a scolded child. He turns so his back is to Doffy, facing Cora whose blonde hair is strewn over the silk pillowcase and looking vastly different without his usual makeup. 

A hand starts to card through his hair from behind, a repetitive touch that is surprisingly gentle. He drifts off to sleep before he even knows it’s happening. 

* * *

He’s been pacing his room for at least an hour, annoying both Polar and Bepo with his restlessness. He can’t help it though, his mind won’t settle down enough for him to get any kind of peace. He’s tried everything- reading, listening to a podcast, watching a boring history documentary, taking a hot shower- to no avail. Normally he would be smoking by now but he had thrown out his last pack of cigarettes two weeks ago and he hadn’t seen Kid in two weeks so he had used up his supply of weed. 

Finally he couldn't stand being confined into his bedroom anymore and very quietly opened the door. He stood in the dark living room for a while, letting his eyes adjust and trying to listen for the sound of steady breathing. He attempted a hasty dash to the front door to slip out of the apartment but he ended up tripping on a shirt that was strewn on the floor, stumbling forward and crashing into the coffee table. 

The assortment of items on the tabletop rattled noisily and Bepo barked from the bedroom at the sound. Law winced at the commotion, biting his lip as he desperately hoped that he hadn’t woken up- “Traffy?”

Fuck. 

“I’m sorry,” Law rushed out, “Sorry, go back to sleep, I didn’t mean to wake you.” Despite his urging, Luffy struggled to sit up, blinking sleepily. Law placed a gentle hand on his back to help push him upwards. He had only gotten out of the hospital two weeks ago so it had been eight weeks since his injuries had been accrued but he was still very weak. He had been sleeping poorly, driven half-mad by terrible nightmares and Law had disturbed what little rest he had been managing to get by being clumsy.

Luffy rubbed his face, the dark bags under his eyes much like Law’s, “What are you doin?” 

Law sighed, kneeling beside his makeshift bed on the couch, “You’re aware that I’m an insomniac. It’s particularly bad tonight and I’ve paced my room about a million times. Sometimes I need more stimulation than what I can get in this apartment so I decided it was best to go for a drive or a run to work off the energy.”

Luffy started to shift slowly to place his feet on the carpet beside Law, “I’ll come with you.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I know, but I wanna.”

“Alright.” Truth be told, Law was planning on just going to drive up and down the highway until all the streetlights started to blur together but with Luffy coming along he felt an urge to do something more exciting. If they both couldn’t rest then they should make the most of the midnight hours, “Do you want to go dancing?”

Luffy blinked wide eyes at him, a smile already drawing across his face, “Dancing?”

Law checked the time on his phone, it was only 1:15, “There’s a club I know that we can go to, it’s open till three.” 

Luffy grabbed his hat and phone from where they were laying on the coffee table, “That sound’s fun!”

Law grinned in shared excitement, “I’ll put on some jeans.” 

—

The club Law had chosen for them was full of people, laughing and drinking as they danced, seemingly unbothered that it was 1:30 in the morning on a Wednesday. The music was so loud that you could feel the bass rattling your teeth, almost pitch black on the dance floor besides the strobing lights and beams of multicolored rays that flash over the floor. 

Law was always enthralled by the patrons that appeared in the post-midnight/pre-dawn hours, this time of night either made people exhausted and irritable or filled them with an energy that was borderline manic and wildly entertaining. It was like when you were a child and went to a friend’s house for a slumber party and once it passed a certain time, things got crazy, which was only heightened in adults when they got booze in them. 

Law and Luffy weren’t there to drink though, they were there to dance until they ran out of energy or the club closed, whichever came first. 

Law normally made his outings more of a production, wearing outfits he knew were particularly alluring and at least three inch heels. Tonight, he was more subdued in a pair of spotted jeans, a fitted t-shirt and ankle boots since he didn’t have to go searching for a dance partner. 

Luffy hadn’t bothered to dress up, wearing the same sweats he had been sleeping in, an over-large buttoned shirt to accommodate his bandaged torso and a pair of slip-on sneakers that he begrudgingly put on when Law pointed out otherwise it would hurt more when his feet would inevitably get stepped on. His hair was matted down on one side from where he had been laying on it and his face was still gaunt from weeks of pain and stress but Law thought he was gorgeous all the same, disco lights dappling his face and the sleeves of his button up shoved up to his elbows, displaying his dainty wrists and smooth forearms and fuck all, Law never thought he would find someone’s wrists attractive yet here he was, almost open mouthed as he basked in the beauty of his former patient and now roommate of two weeks. He really needed to get some sleep soon. 

Law was about to offer his hand to Luffy to whisk him out onto the floor but suddenly sucked in a breath, mystified by his own stupidity, “I completely forgot, you can’t dance right now.”

Luffy blinked a bit, his own brow furrowing as he absorbed what Law had pointed out then gasped in realization, looking down at his right leg- the still healing fractured fibula and the torn cartilage in the knee which he had only recently gotten out of an immobilizing brace for- it wouldn’t support his weight for longer than fifteen minutes out there. He scratched his head sheepishly, “I guess I didn’t think about it either. It’s okay, I can sit and watch you.”

Maybe it’s because Law hasn’t slept in around thirty-four hours, maybe it’s because his life is very rapidly beginning to revolve around making his new roommate happy that leads him to turn to Luffy with a grin, “I’ve got an idea.”

That’s how they end up on the dance floor, with Luffy standing on his shoes, arms wrapped around Law’s neck as he lets Law move for the both of them. It’s a little awkward, pressed so close together because every movement Law makes telegraphs into Luffy’s body and they’ve bumped heads twice but they’re both laughing as they hold onto each other.

They sing along to the songs they do know with everyone else in the club, caught up in the exhilaration of being a part of a moment in time. Law spins them around whenever he can find the space because that makes Luffy laugh even more, feeling a little dizzy and helplessly giddy. 

They dance until the club closes and are herded out along with everyone else, piling back into Law’s van where they slip into a companionable quiet, the soft music from the radio the only noise as they drive back to the apartment.

At the door leading into Law’s bedroom, they say goodnight again. Law with his feet aching slightly and eyes blissfully heavy, expresses, “Thank you for coming with me tonight.”

Luffy smiled around a yawn, making his way to the couch, “No one should stay awake alone.” 

Law was only able to muster the strength to kick his boots off and check that his alarms for the morning were set before he dropped onto the bed face first and fell asleep in seconds. 

* * *

There were only so many times you could watch a ceiling fan spin around before you thought you were losing your mind. 

All the factors were in the right place- he had gone on a run that morning, endured a long day of work, the ambient waves were turned on, the covers were warm and his husband was sleeping soundly beside him- yet he wasn’t able to get to sleep and he couldn't stand just laying there anymore. 

He reached out for the man beside him who was dead asleep, not pleased that he had to wake Luffy up but not willing to suffer alone anymore, “Sweetie.” He didn’t reply so Law shook his shoulder, “Baby.” 

Luffy moaned slightly as he was drawn from his slumber, swatting at Law for waking him up, “What?” 

Law twisted in the bed so was sitting up and facing Luffy, “I can’t sleep.” 

Luffy cracked an eye open, scanning Law’s face and body. He had gotten excellent at dealing with Law at night, scarily intuitive, able to gauge his moods and suss out what the best response was, which could be anything from holding Law until he fell asleep with tenderness, crowding him into the shower, having sex or going out somewhere. Tonight he pulled a pillow over his face, “Try harder.”

Law reached out to shake his shoulder again, asking, “What do you want?” 

Luffy groaned, catching on to his meaning, “Traffy, no.”

“I’ll get you anything you want.” Law promised, fingers twitching for the urge, “Anything, just name it.” 

Luffy sighed deeply as he thought, knowing from experience how serious Law was. “Peppermint chocolate chip ice cream.” He stuck a finger blindly in Law’s face, “Not mint; peppermint.” 

“Done.” Law pulled the pillow away so he could kiss his husband’s sweet face, even as he shot out of bed, “I will return soon with your ice cream.” 

“You’re crazy.” Luffy mumbled, pulling the covers over his head, turning over to try and sleep again.

Law unplugged his phone from the charging port, grabbing his wallet. He opened the door, calling out, “Come on Bepo-bear!”

There was a pounding of feet before the Great Pyrenees was before him, white fur practically glowing in the night. Law rubbed his big head, chuckling as the dog licked at his hand playfully. 

This was a game Law played whenever he couldn’t sleep. The idea was that the stimulation and the completion of a task, followed by the return back home would be enough to induce tiredness in him. He would go out in the dead of the night to get whatever Luffy wanted, no matter what it was. That was the fun, trying to get things when it wasn’t convenient, whether it be food or some random item. Sometimes when Luffy didn’t have work in the morning he came with Law. They once got ramen at two in the morning, bought and another time they went shopping for a present for an upcoming birthday at three. Seemed like tonight, Law was going tag-team with just Bepo, who was always ready for adventure with Law.

Downstairs, he shoved his feet into a pair of sandals, snagged his car keys and coat, opening the front door which led to Bepo springing out ahead of him. He waited by the passenger seat door eagerly, wagging his fluffy tail as Law opened the door for him to hop into. 

Like most weeknights in the hours between eleven and four, the streets were mostly empty and he let his lamborghini go a little faster than what was advised, the windows down to let the mid-winter air come streaming in, cool sharpness in their lungs.  Soon Law pulled up into the 24-hour superstore, where most of his adventures took place. Unbuckling his seatbelt, he turned to rub Bepo’s forehead, saying sincerely, “Now wait here and I’ll get you a treat.” 

There weren’t many customers at this hour, though the night shift manager and Law were on a first name basis due to his frequent patronage and he stopped for a second to engage in chit chat. 

He shuffled through the ice cream aisle, looking through all the different flavors for the one he was tasked to find. Peppermint chocolate chip was a more difficult one to locate, since it was a specialty flavor. It always appeared around Christmastime but finding it outside of the season became a challenge. After about a minute and a half of searching he was triumphant, some off-brand company made it that was leftover from Christmas a month ago. 

He meandered through the other aisles, picking up whatever interested him before making his way to the check out. All in all, his excursion took a little under ten minutes for him to get back in the car where Bepo crowded him to sniff at the bags he brought. 

He rummaged through one of the bags for the treat he had bought, “I got some kind of salmon jerky from one of those organic source companies.” He opened the package up with the knife he kept in the glovebox, “Now, I’m not sure how well this is going to taste, considering it is dehydrated fish, but we can try it together. Gentle.” He commanded, holding out a piece for Bepo who took it from his hand lightly though still got slobber over Law’s palm. 

Law wiped his hand off, selecting a piece from the bag for himself. He chewed thoughtfully, it wasn’t as salty nor as fishy tasting as he expected, “Not bad.” He looked over at Bepo who was munching away, tail thumping against the middle console happily, “Maybe we can try different brands.” 

He drove them back to the house then carried the groceries inside with Bepo trooping ahead of him. He kicked his sandals off in the entryway, cringing over how he had forgotten to take his fuzzy socks off before he left so he had committed the fashion atrocity of socks with sandals unknowingly. He got a spoon out of the silverware drawer to dig into the half-gallon of melting ice cream to taste the flavor his husband was so adamant about. After three mouthfuls he could conclude that peppermint ice cream really did taste like peppermints, it was a sharper flavor than regular mint. It bit the tongue instead of coated it smoothly while remaining creamy and punctuated with bursts of chocolate chunks. Polar was perched on the counter top, watching as he ate with unblinking amber eyes and he stuck a finger out to scold, “Don’t judge me.”

He deposited the spoon into the sink to clean in the morning, heading back up the stairs to the bedroom. He brushed his teeth before returning to bed with his husband. Luffy was somewhat awake, so Law informed him, “Your ice cream is in the freezer.” He settled in, tucking himself back under the covers, “I ate some of it.” 

Luffy sighed exhaustedly, heaving himself up so he could slide over and lay on top of Law’s chest, pressing a kiss to his lips gently, “Go to sleep, babe.” 

And Law did just that.

* * *

Law watched as the cigarette burned in between his fingers, crumbling onto the ashtray, shivering slightly from cold. He had opened the window to try and make sure that the smell didn’t linger so heavily, however it meant letting the freezing air in. He flipped the pages of the research paper idly, though he hadn’t absorbed any information for a good half hour as a headache crept deeper into his temples. 

At this point, he wasn’t even certain how long it had been since he had slept last but despite the exhaustion that was blurring his vision, he couldn’t bear the thought of sleeping. 

He knew what nightmares would plague him when he closed his eyes. 

The door of the study opened and his husband came into the room, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders, rubbing his eyes tiredly, “What are you doing up, honey?”

“I can’t sleep.” Law answered truthfully, stubbing the cigarette out bitterly. Luffy always hated it when he smoked but had conceded to the nasty habit when Law had proven he was more than willing to take up far more destructive vices. Law had been trying to be considerate and not smoke in the house but it was too damn cold to go outside. 

Luffy padded over the carpet in bare feet to where Law was seated at his desk, leaning over Law’s shoulders to have his blanket cover Law as well, warding him from the cold air that leeched in from the open window. He kissed Law's neck gently, mouthing against his skin, “At least come to bed so I can keep you company.”

Law let out a shaky breath, nodding in agreement and rose to his feet unsteadily. His neck was stiff from being in one position so long and his bones felt brittle with the same grief that had been clinging to him for the last three months, sapping him of his energy completely while tormenting his mind to make it that he couldn’t get any rest even when he tried. 

He followed Luffy complacently into their bedroom; the dark beautiful room that had a wall painted like the ocean, decorated with pictures and mementos from their years of love, the bed draped in soft fabrics, the blackout curtains and lights that were on timers which shifted to a muted red light at nighttime, the whole thing designed to provide Law with a room conducive to sleep. 

Luffy also had become conducive in giving Law what he needed to sleep, positioning Law against the headboard and crawling into his lap to purr, “What can I do to help you? What will make you feel better?” He started to kiss at the underside of Law’s jaw, saying between breaths, “I can run you a bath or we can go for a drive. Or there’s always tea and I think we still have some of those shortbread cookies Sanji gave us that I can warm up.” He giggles, admitting, “That actually sounds good right about now.” He kisses the bridge of Law’s nose, “What’ll it be?” 

He looks comfortable, wearing a pair of Law’s sweats which are long enough flap over his feet, and a tank top that showcases the jagged edges of the years old burn wound and the tattoos that span all along his arms, his hair a tousled mess and in the familiar curves of his body Law will always find his way home. He looks like he could fall back asleep in a second yet he’s staying awake to be with Law, his smile practically illuminating the night, a soft lopsided thing that Law’s seen a million times before and above the curl of his lips his dark eyes are full of a deep love burning so intensely that they sparkle in the darkness, like stars puncturing the veil of the space.

In the face of such boundless devotion, Law starts to cry. 

It could be onset hysteria induced by a lack of proper rest or it could just be him succumbing to the waves of anguish that always threaten to wash over him but he cries all the same. 

He’s probably cried more in these past three months than all the time in between the ages of ten and forty. He’s been crying with the same intensity he had when he was ten and he was just a terrified little boy, grieving over the loss of everyone he knew alone in a world that wanted to destroy him. It’s the same ache in his soul now, causing hot tears to stream down his face. 

He weeps, mostly out of exhaustion and grief, yet also relief because these last few months have been hell but he’s still alive and that’s something to be grateful for. 

Luffy kisses Law’s tears away with tears glistening in his own eyes, wrapping him up in arms that don’t tremble, guiding them to both lay down against the pillows. He doesn’t try to say placating words, he doesn’t look at Law with pity. He just holds tight and lets Law feel the steady beat of his heart, just lets Law cry until the tears run dry, enveloped in the warmth and safety of a love that cannot be overcome. 

Eventually, Law succumbs to sleep. 

* * *

Law glanced up at the tv which was playing some inane cartoon that Luffy had put on before he fell asleep and had reached some sort of episodic climax before returning his attention back to the novel had been trying to read as a way to pass the time. 

Luffy was drooling onto the pillow next to Law, having long since gotten used to sleeping with some sort of light on due his own instance that he would rather have a lamp on than have Law leave the bedroom when he couldn’t sleep. 

Law tucked the comforter around his husband a little closer to keep him warm as it has gotten shifted while he dreamed. He smoothed a hand through Luffy’s bangs, admiring the way it shined in the golden lamp light. Unlike Law, whose hair over the years had simply gone a stark white as if it had been drained of all pigment, Luffy’s was merely streaked with gray throughout in a gorgeous way that was impossible to replicate with dye. 

He was returning back to his book, when he heard a noise and paused for a moment, stilling to see if the sound came again, and when it did he pulled back the covers and got to his feet. He wrapped his robe around him as he exited the bedroom. Their pretty Borzoi, Perennial, trotted at his heels like she always did, faithful to all his expeditions the same way her predecessors, Kikoku and Bepo, had been. 

He yawned into his hand, slightly drowsy but not overly exhausted like he had been in the last few weeks preceding. 

They had both taken the full twelve weeks they had been allotted at the beginning but now Law was back to working full time and Luffy was pulling half days. The gaps in between their schedules were easily filled, there was no shortage of family and friends to volunteer their services.

It had been Law’s insistence that he was the one who took the brunt of the midnight wakings, his body far more used to the strain of only getting a few scattered hours of rest at a time. It wasn’t too bad, he had switched his workout time from before work to after which gave him an extra hour to sleep in the morning and Luffy took care of breakfast. He had also bullied the hospital into cutting his work day down by an hour on the weekdays, with the argument that after over two decades of work he deserved the time which meant he got to go home earlier too so they could spend the evenings together. Overall they had settled into the new routine easily, a far cry from what they had been living but more precious because of it. 

He pushed open the bedroom door, entering in the room where the nightlight was glowing softly, projected stars turning slowly across the walls and ceiling, the thick green carpet soft under his bare feet as he approached the crib placed against the wall that was painted with the ocean, a ship and a submarine. 

There was a soft coo and Law hummed right back, reaching down and picking up his son from where he had been fussing, “I’m here now. You’re alright. I got you.” 

He hoisted the fifteen week old baby out of the crib, nestling him into his arms and heading into the kitchen to warm up a bottle of formula. He chuckled fondly at the intensity with which the bottle was attacked when it was brought within mouth-range, “You certainly have your daddy’s appetite. That’s alright, I’ve been keeping him fed for over twenty-seven years, you’re not that bad. Yet.” He added, wincing internally, even though he had planned out their finances extensively, he still dreaded the thought of what their grocery bill was going to be once their son was on to solid foods. 

While there was the beautiful wooden rocking chair available in the nursery for him to sit in, he settled down on the couch in the living room. From that position, he could gaze out of the glass patio doors and admire the way the snow glistened on the world outside, covering the cobblestone patio and blanketing the grass. 

Perennial laid down by his feet, her warm side and soft fur pressed into his ankles and Ope, an Egyptian Mau who had been a gift to Law, was perched on the back of the couch watching over them. Gear, the newest pet in their menagerie at two years old, a huge mixed breed that was part malamute, had headed up to the bedroom as soon as Law had left to keep Luffy company. Law scanned the area for their forth pet, seeing a flick of a long tail then a slight crash emanating from the kitchen and growled a warning to Gomu, “You better not be getting in the pantry, you bastard.”

The ocicat paid no heed to his secondary owner, but Law blinked as he registered his own words, looking down at his son still feeding lustily, “Oops, I’m not supposed to use curse words around you.” He grinned at the dark eyes that stared up at him, “Then again your little brain hasn’t finished wiring yet so you don’t know what I’m saying anyway.” 

He sighed, at peace with himself and the world around him, the light snowfall coming down outside, the warm house that was secure against the cold and anything else that threatened, their pets fulfilling their duties as companions, his husband asleep upstairs and his son cradled in his arms. He smiled faintly, feeling almost buoyant with such a powerful sense of belonging and adoration, tendrils of sleep starting to curl in his limbs, “You’re not going to remember this. But I will. I’m going to remember every minute.” 


	2. Indulge Me As You Please

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To this day Luffy had no clue why out of all the people in the world Law had chosen him. As smart and as sexy Law was, he could have had anyone but it’s only Luffy who he has eyes for and it’s only Luffy who's wearing the matching wedding ring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set five weeks after Part 2
> 
> Content Warnings: Underage drinking, semi-graphic anal sex, references to drug use

The doorbell chimed and a few seconds later the front door opened, swinging inward, the iron grate security door remained closed, keeping them from entering the house. Kid poked his head out, grinning with what could only be described as a fond sneer, “Well, look who’s standing on my porch, twenty minutes after I asked them to show up, the esteemed Dr.Trafalgar and vivacious Mr.Monkey-Trafalgar, which is probably one of the weirdest last names I’ve ever heard.” 

Law sniffed haughty, “Firstly, we’re here as guests so you’ll welcome us anytime we deem to show up, not when you want us to show up to help throw your boyfriend a party, which secondly, was why we were late because we had to stop by the liquor store and pick up the case that  _ you _ demanded us to bring for you. More importantly, don't insult my husband, Eustass.” 

“Whatever. Come on in.” They stepped back so Kid could unlock and push the security door open to let them in, “We got things to do. He’ll be here in less than an hour.” Law glided into the house primly, asking for help from some of the others inside with carrying in the heavy case of liquor that they had been tasked with bringing since they owned a vehicle large enough to carry it. 

Luffy in the meantime was flushed with delight over hearing Law defend him as his husband. They had been married for a little under five weeks and he still got a rush whenever he was reminded of the fact that the gorgeous tall man in a pair of dark wash jeans that were as tight as a second skin stretched over miles long legs, a light gray fitted shirt with a plunging neckline that showcased a taut torso inked with intricate tattoos with a long black wool overcoat, so poised in three inch heeled boots, brushing snow off the white spotted hat and there flashing in the light of the entryway was the gold and platinum wedding band displayed proudly among fingers that were tattooed with ‘death’, golden eyes dazzling in the light and blue hair as richly colored as calligraphy ink was his husband and would be for the rest of his life.

He had gone a little crazy with the thought of being with Law forever, of having Law as his to claim and treasure in a way that no other person could. It was an all consuming thought, it made his cheeks flush like he was a swooning maiden, made him giddy enough that his family, friends and coworkers had commented on it. Everything else in his life seemed better by extension, he had been floating through the days with nothing in his mind but making Law happy in whatever way possible: cooking the best food he knew how to, keeping whatever messes and noise he made to a minimum, doing more than his fair share of the chores, writing notes and making treats to slip into Law’s lunch box, pouncing on Law the moment he was home to take his coat and shoes off, to kiss the winter chill from his lips, cheeks and nose. 

He spent every spare second he had to dote upon Law and in return Law indulged him. Something about having his wedding band now on his finger to pair with his engagement band made things go wild in Luffy. He was insatiable, in a way he never had been, not even when they first had started dating, not even when they had gotten engaged. Normally they would lay together every night before they went to bed, going one to three rounds depending on their mood, and sometimes they did it in the morning when they were still hazy with sleep. During the day itself had been a seldom occurrence since they had work, being kept as a lazy sunday event but now it was all that and more, several times throughout the day when the urge stuck him. 

His libido had always been a fickle thing, it had been mostly dormant, only rising on rare instances and for certain people alone, a flicker of desire. With Law it had grown, burning into a deep seated passion, and now after their marriage it had become something searing which ignited low in his stomach, that made his vision awash with a rosy glow. There were times when he couldn’t even wait for Law and his newly minted spouse would come home to find him already dripping and flushed with longing. Law had taken it in good stride, claiming it was his husbandly duty to keep Luffy satisfied, rising to the challenge every time. Luffy considered it an even deal since Law never slept better than he did after Luffy had given it to him particularly hard. 

It was widely unnecessary and slightly ridiculous since Law had proven time and again that while he loved being intimate, he would never force or demand anything of the sort yet Luffy luxuriated in feeling and being so desired, did everything he could to keep their interests kindled. He made meals that they could feed each other with their hands, he had taken all the flameless candles from their wedding and arranged them around their bathtub, he had bought a book about mixology so there was always a cocktail ready for Law when he came home. Around the house, he either wore tight athletic shorts or a particularly beautiful robe, one of the gifts that he had gotten from the wedding, which he coupled with a pair of knee-high fuzzy socks, with either lingerie underneath or nothing at all. 

He hadn’t worn weather appropriate clothes since they got back from their honeymoon, which is why tonight, in the first week of February with fresh snow coming down as they stood in the entryway, arguing about who was going to carry the alcohol inside, he was wearing a tight white t-shirt, a tan suede miniskirt with no tights or stockings underneath and a pair of strappy heels. The ensemble made his legs seem longer than they actually were, giving him an appearance of being taller which he liked since his husband was over six feet tall and he very much was not. He thought it was cute look and Law had already shown his appreciation for the outfit earlier in the evening. (They were late due to having to pick up the liquor but only because Law had previously bent him over the ottoman in their bedroom when he came out of the bathroom fully dressed, meaning they left the house later than intended.)

He was drawn from his reprieve when the clamor between the others got particularly loud, still debating over who was going to go out into the snow and get the case. He rolled his eyes fondly, kicked his heels off and trooped barefoot out the door, down the driveway to where their van was parked. He pulled open the back doors, dragging the crate to the edge of the van so he could hoist it up carefully, the bottles inside rattling against each other as he tucked the crate against a hip for balance. He kicked the doors shut, carrying the crate with him back up the driveway and into the house. As he passed the others and Law standing in the entryway, he commented, “If I knew you guys were going to make such a big deal of it, I would’ve grabbed it in the first place.” 

He could feel Law’s eyes roam over his form as he sauntered into the kitchen to deposit the crate on the countertop, picking up Luffy’s heels to bring over to him, “That’s my man.” 

Law and Luffy got to work with the others to help get the house prepared for Killer’s surprise birthday party, shoving furniture around to make room for dancing, setting up a bar area, making sure all the food was ready to go- one whole table was devoted to the ingredients needed to make smores of all kinds. As the time got closer to when Killer was supposed to come home from work, more and more guests showed up, almost fifty friends and coworkers and everyone was ready to turn up on this particular Saturday night. Despite it being February, Luffy helped Wire get the canopy on the back patio setup so that they could extend the party outside as well though he wasn’t going to hang out there since they were starting up fire pits to keep the space warm and as much as he loved smores, he hated the sight of fire more. 

There was no point in trying to hide when Killer arrived, cars were obviously parked up and down the street they lived on, but they all cheered when Killer walked in. Killer for his part grinned and accepted both the kiss Kid placed on his cheek and the beer his partner shoved into his hands. 

With the appearance of the key person the party began in earnest; music blasting from the speakers so loud you had to shout to be heard over it, an abundance of food to munch on, alcohol available in spades, lively conversation and dancing starting up. Law and Luffy mingled right along with everyone else, answering questions about their wedding which had been the first party of the year, followed only at this moment in the calendar year by Kid’s own birthday bash which had gotten shut down by the authorities for shooting fireworks off in his backyard at three in the morning. 

Luffy made Law go outside and make him a plateful of smores which he ate as he chatted with Bonney and showed her his progress in making cocktails. He stood by the loud sound system, yelling over the music to talk with Apoo who was DJing, he got into an animated conversation with Kid and Hawkins about recent and future trends in men’s fashion brought about by a complement to his skirt, sang happy birthday with everyone to Killer and had two pieces of the rich german chocolate cake, sipping on a single wine cooler throughout. 

Law had been pacing himself like he normally did, sampling whatever food he was interested in and giving Luffy the rest, sticking to mixed drinks or beer, leaving him more than capable to dance with Luffy in between their conversations held with whoever came up to them, still mostly in his senses for two or so hours, until Kid forced a bottle of tequila in his hands. 

And then, Law went a little off the rails.

Tequila made him loose- he was always a natural flirt, a bold combination of wit and snark wrapped up in tattoos and cool bravado but it was all heightened when the alcohol hit his system- it practically made his social filter non-existent, all thoughts of maintaining some sort of polished outwardly demeanor disappearing from his mind as he drank, overlaying his vision with a hedonistic haze that meant he was in pursuit of more alcohol, a good beat to dance to and, of course, Luffy. 

To this day Luffy had no clue why out of all the people in the world Law had chosen him. As smart and as sexy Law was, he could have had anyone but it’s only Luffy who he has eyes for and it’s only Luffy who's wearing the matching wedding ring. Law abandoned his overcoat to a hook in the entryway and gets all in Luffy’s space, his breath sweet and hands groping. Luffy entertains him for a while on the dance floor, laughing at Law’s sloppy mouth working on his neck but eventually he pawns Law off to Kid to watch, overdue to get more food.

He eats some chips and a few marshmallows but then he’s craving something to drink and he can’t find any more wine coolers or soda and he doesn't want the beer that’s flowing from a keg nearby that most people are drinking. He scans the drink table, catching sight of those little cups of jello, the same ones that Kid made at his Christmas party. Luffy took a few because he always liked jello and he figured it would do the trick to try and quench his thirst. They tasted funny but Luffy shrugged it off, taking a few more since it was probably expired or some weird flavor he hadn’t heard of, he wouldn’t put it past Kid to buy something crazy. He had about twenty of the little cups but they were really small meaning that he barely got more than a mouthful with each one so he didn’t feel bad about practically polished off a whole tray by himself. He then filled a cup with ice and started to suck on that, trying to get the sticky taste out of his mouth. 

Pretty soon, Luffy felt flushed from his straw hat covered head to his bare toes. He guessed that Kid had the heater going hard since they kept the patio door open but the amount of people clustered in the house made it hot. He stood outside for a while to try and cool down but it only managed to make his nose numb, his tongue started feeling weird too and that’s about when Luffy figures out from Heat that Kid didn’t make non-alcoholic jello shots tonight like he did at the Christmas Eve party which meant that Luffy took the equivalent of six shots of vodka in less than ten minutes. Heat looked at him concerned as he finds this incredibly funny, laughing even more at the weird feeling that made his nose tingle.

He gets filled with an inexplicable longing to find his husband and he weaves through the crowds until he spots Law, out on the makeshift dance floor and trying to goad Kid into dancing with him. Luffy trips on a bunched up corner of a rug in his heels and falls into Law who catches him on reflex. Law looks startled by his sudden appearance and the slight bewilderment is so beautiful on his pretty face that Luffy leans up to kiss him, gathering up a fistful of his gray shirt to keep them together as the room starts to spin dizzyingly around them. 

As the party lingered longer into the night, things turned into a veritable fount of debauchery. The music continued to blare, the smell of smoke and weed lingering heavy in the air, cups refilled over and over again, pressed bodies sweaty regardless of the open patio doors letting in the mid-winter air. Law and Luffy were right in the thick of it, in the middle of the dancing throng, all wrapped up in each other. 

They dance together like the world will end if they don’t, Luffy feels particularly daring in his heeled drunken state and Law can do things when he’s dancing that no person alive deserved the right to be able to do, much less in three inch heels. During one song, Law maneuvered behind Luffy, snaking his hands around to grab at his hips and he is pulled flush against Law’s denim covered crotch. Law crouches low on bended knees and angled heels only to rise back upwards, grinding into Luffy’s ass the whole time, crooning the words to the song into Luffy’s ear in a voice that sounds like velvet feels and a fervor ignites in Luffy that can not be tamed. 

They quit all pretenses of dancing and instead just grind up on each other as they make out, laughing into each other’s mouth, arms corded around the other's neck. Luffy really wishes that they were home right now but neither of them are capable of driving at this point which is a shame because what Law had done gave him visions of things that seared his flesh even more than the alcohol. He had his lips moving across the graceful lines that made up Law’s neck when a fist curled into his shirt collar and yanked.

Luffy squeaked, his hands tightening around Law’s shoulders and pulls his poor husband with him as he was dragged by Kid who pushed past other people while making his way to the part of the house that held all the bedrooms which was currently blocked by caution tape. Kid didn’t let up, making them duck to get under it, pulling Law by the belt loops when his husband’s long legs got tangled in the plastic wrap. They were promptly ushered into an empty bedroom and shoved bodily onto a bed, tumbling on top of each other in an uncoordinated heap. Kid cackled as he shut the door behind him, “You two have fun!”

Law cursed good naturedly, massaging a hand on the back of his neck, eyes practically glowing in the dim light, “I guess that was one way to tell us to get a room.”

Luffy giggled, looking around and wondering whose bedroom they had occupied yet decided that he didn't care as he kicked his heels off, “Guess we better make the most of it.”

Law faced him with a daring grin, “Is that how it is?” He rose to his knees on the mattress, reaching behind him to unzip his boots to take off then he crawled forward to straddle Luffy’s lap. Luffy’s skirt had already ridden high on his thighs from sitting down and Law pushes it up even further so that the tight nude spanks underneath are exposed. He thumbs over the graft scars lining Luffy’s thighs, leaning forward to kiss him on the lips tenderly, “Are you sure that’s what you want? We don’t have to do anything, we can just go to sleep and sober up.”

In response, Luffy spread his legs wide, the fabric of his miniskirt pulling tight against his hips, straining in his spanks and already wet, “You’re what I want.” 

Law groaned under his breath, surging forward to push Luffy backwards to lie flat on the bed, straddling him and lifting up his own hips so he could undo his belt, beginning to work those skintight jeans down his legs. Luffy slipped the spanks off but kept the skirt on for now, squirming under the weight of Law’s heated gaze and the building desire. When Law had gotten his pants and underwear off, he advanced on Luffy again, pressing sucking kisses to Luffy’s collarbone in apologies for making him wait.

Luffy rolled onto his stomach without a word, propping himself up on his elbows and Law’s hands knead at his ass, leaning over the curve of his back to nip lightly at his earlobes as he starts to sink into the tight warmth of Luffy’s body. Normally they use dubious amounts of lube or Luffy sucks Law’s dick until it’s thoroughly wetted, tonight however there’s no barriers, they’re so intoxicated in each other that they can’t bear the thought of separating long enough for any kind of prep work or foreplay. 

Luffy’s not complaining even though it pulls more than usual, he throws it back into Law just as hard as Law thrusts into him and they’re gasping, muffling their louder noises of pleasure so no one else in the house can hear them, biting into each other’s skin when they can’t contain themselves further, the air steamy and intense between them. 

Down the hall, the music continued to play. 

—

It is the sunlight streaming over his face that wakes him up abrasively, making him blink and squint into awareness. It took a minute for him to work out where he was, huddled under a purple fuzzy blanket in a strange bedroom that had posters of half-naked women on motorcycles on the walls. He was naked and his pores felt sticky, dried cum on his stomach and ass, a sour feeling churning in his stomach, a headache throbbing dull and heavy in his temples and his tongue felt swollen and fuzzy. He squeezed his eyes shut against the light, pulling the blanket over his head, wishing he was still asleep like Law was beside him. His memories of the previous night were fuzzy but at least he could still account for all the time so he knew he hadn’t gotten to the blackout point which was good. He could probably count on one hand how many times he had gotten drunk and this was shaping up to be in the top three worst. 

He was trying to figure out whether he wanted to eat or throw up when a knock sounded on the door. He sat up, slightly dizzy, quickly arranging the duvet over his and Law’s bodies so they were modestly covered before announcing, “Come in.”

Heat opened the door, holding out a stack of towels that he deposited on a nearby table, “Here’s some towels, feel free to use the shower. We’ve got breakfast cooking as well.” 

“Thank you.” Luffy said lowly as Heat left yet Law woke up anyway, yawning and stretching, his own brow furrowing painfully as he came to awareness. “Hey, hon.”

“Being drunk may be fun but it is so not worth the hangover.” Law responded as a greeting, shifting upright to lay against the headboard. 

Luffy giggled despite his headache, making to move out of the bed to grab the towels so he could shower but a twinge of pain shot through his lower back fiercely enough that he halted all further movement. The wince on his face drew Law’s attention, reaching over to place a hand in the middle of Luffy’s shoulder blades, “Are you alright?”

Luffy might have suspected something like this would have happened if his memories of the five separate rounds that they had done last night were anything to go by, Law always had been a very passionate lover and the absence of any kind of lubricant meant that there was nothing to stop abrasion besides cum which at the time had been a turn on, in the morning after though it was a major ouch. He rolled his shoulders, flexed his toes and contracted his stomach muscles to access the ache. It was more than he had dealt with in a while but he thought as long as he kept his movements measured he could avoid another flare up, “I’m fine, just a little sore.”

A warm hand started to rub his lower back gently to try and soothe the tension that lingered there, “I’m sorry.”

Luffy successfully got out of bed this time, “Don’t be.” He stretched his arms over his head, careful to not pull his muscles too far, “Let’s go, I want breakfast but we need to wash up first.”

Law slid out of bed, sunlight making his sculpted naked body seem bronzer than usual, “That’s a plan of action I can agree with.” 

They didn’t bother dressing to make the venture to the nearest bathroom, wrapping their waists with towels and padding on bare feet over cold hardwood. The shower isn’t made for two people but they manage to fit, washing the remnants of last night down the drain. At one point Luffy arched under the steam, letting the warm water pound against his lower body to ease the ache. 

He felt marginally better by the time they finish, his tongue still felt weird plus the headache continued to persist but his thoughts felt clearer and he used a clove scented body wash so at least he smelt nice. They dried off as much as they could in the bathroom before heading back to the bedroom they spent the night in, picking their clothes up from off the floor to redress, towel drying their hair.

They headed into the main part of the house then, the living room was a mess from the night before though in the kitchen, Kid was making their promised breakfast. He was shirtless, in a pair of flannel pajama bottoms, his red hair a tousled mess and he wasn't wearing his prosthetic. He grinned when he saw them, shouting over his stand mixer, “You bitches want some pancakes?!”

Law glared at him as they make their way over, “You are speaking way too loudly.”

Kid turns off the mixer to repeat in a mocking whisper, “You bitches want some pancakes?”

Law fixed him with an unimpressed scowl, “If you value your life you’ll give me coffee.” 

Kid jerked a thumb over to where the coffeemaker is, “You’ve been here enough to know how to help yourself ” 

While Law made his coffee, Luffy searched through the fridge for something to drink, glancing over at Kid, “Where’s your arm?”

Kid grabbed a measuring cup to pour the prepared pancake batter into, “I leave it off on days I don’t have work. The thing’s heavy as a motherfucker.” The kitchen is mostly Killer’s domain however the whole house had been made accessible for Kid after his arm had gotten blown off, from the stand mixer situated on the countertop to the cutting board that had a lip to latch onto the edge of the counter and all the other non slip kitchen utensils scattered around. Even the orange juice he grabbed had been transferred from its usual jug to a reusable pitcher that had a lid that locked into place and a small spout to negate spilling when poured with one hand. 

Luffy busied himself with helping Kid make their breakfast of pancakes and sausage links while Law meandered around the living room, picking up trash and straightening up with Wire and Heat. Killer came into the kitchen to place a bottle of painkillers on the counter for Luffy, tying his long hair up in a high ponytail and taking his place as sous-chef. 

Luffy swallowed two pills with a swig of orange juice and headed into the bedroom again to root around for his phone which was dead from the night before so he plugged it into one of the chargers that was in the living room. He ate a piece of leftover cake while he waited for breakfast to be cooked, swirling frosting on his fuzzy tongue as he listened to the quiet conversation between the three in the living room and Killer and Kid’s gentle bickering as they fought for space on the stovetops.

Breakfast was served quickly and Luffy dug in heartily, always of the belief that food was the cure for everything. On the barstool beside him, Law ate more placidly, mostly sipping on his second cup of coffee. Luffy heard the chime of his phone, now revived, from the living room and went to retrieve it, chewing a mouthful of pancakes on the way. He picked his phone up and almost choked on his pancake in his alarm when for the first time that morning, he took note of the time, “We’re late!”

Law winced, “What did I say about noise?” Luffy forgot to be careful as he ran over to shove his phone into Law’s face who gasped, “It’s already eleven fifty-five?! Shit, we are late, we’re supposed to meet them at twelve!”

“Meet who?” Heat asked, spearing a sausage on his fork. 

Luffy tore at his hair frantically, “We’re celebrating two birthdays in my family at a restaurant at the harbor, like now!”

Kid gawked at them, “You can’t go wearing that! You both look like poster boys for the walk of shame.”

Law looked at the state of their clothes in dismay, “There’s no time for us to go all the way home and I didn’t bring a change of clothes. I didn’t realize we were going to spend the night and I certainly didn’t imagine sleeping in so late.”

“Calm down, we can find something for you.” Killer offered, turning the burners of the stove off so they could leave the kitchen without burning anything down. 

Law snorted, “I appreciate it but I don’t think fishnets and leather halters are going to do it.”

Kid grabbed Law’s good arm with his only hand, pulling him to the hall of bedrooms, “Fuck you, c’mon.”

Law kept a bin of clothes for them in the back of the van but those were for emergencies or weather-specific stuff, nothing was appropriate for a fancy brunch so Killer fished out a light blue button up that he would wear to work for Law to button up and tuck into his jeans with his overcoat on. It was incredible unfair in Luffy’s opinion that Law could make anything look good, while Luffy went scrounging through closets searching for something manageable though he knew it was going to be overlarge since there was no one in the house who was his size because he, under no circumstances, could go to brunch with his family wearing a mini-skirt that was obviously wrinkled after spending a night on the floor. He finally found a pair of Kid’s leather overalls that were baggy on his legs but he thought the fitted t-shirt made up for it, especially since he buttoned one of the shoulder straps to the opposite hook, leaving the other strap undone. Since there was no one his size, he had no choice but to wear his strappy heels which was mortifying because Luffy hadn’t even worn such girly heels to his own wedding. 

There was a flurry of getting dressed, trying to arrange damp hair into order and brushing teeth with spare toothbrushes before they were running out the door. Wire blinked in surprise as Luffy darted past him, snagging his coat from one of the numerous hooks in the entryway, “You’re wearing that?”

“Anything is fashion if you wear it with confidence!” Luffy retorted, pumping a fist in the air as a way to psych himself up as well, hoping that his questionable attire was chalked up to nothing more than one of his zany tendencies instead of facing scrutiny. He almost slipped on the pavement, slick from the overnight snowfall, but managed to make it into the passenger seat safely, Law already had turned the heater on max to combat the chill in the van. 

Kid, still in his ridiculous robe, leaned out of the front door, waving with his one arm, “Bye, losers, see you soon!”

“Thanks for coming!” Killer added from Kid’s side, gracing them with a rare fond smile.

“See ya!” Luffy shouted back and Law gave a parting wave as he pulled the van away from the curb.

Thankfully, traffic wasn’t too heavy but at this point they were already late. At a stoplight, Luffy twisted in his seat to rummage in the back, locating the items that they had bought yesterday before they went to the party, “We have their gifts but they’re not wrapped! What should we do?”

Law hummed thoughtfully, already changing lanes, “There’s a pharmacy up at the corner, they’ve got gift bags and shit. How’s your ass?”

Luffy huffed, looking over his appearance in the sun visor mirror to make sure there were no visible bites or hickies, “I told you it’s fine. I took the painkillers for my head.”

“So did I.” Law groaned, shading his eyes even though he had sunglasses on to try and block out the midday sun, “And don’t try to brush off my concern, alright? As the one in possession of the big dick that fucked you and as a doctor, I have the right to inquire about the state of your wellbeing.” He parked the car and leaned over the middle console to kiss Luffy sweetly, “I am your husband after all.” 

Luffy rolled his eyes, kissing the bridge of Law’s nose, “Don’t let that big dick to get to your head or it’ll never get near my ass again.” 

Law swung the door open to get out of the van, all six foot six of him with the heels, far too handsome for someone with a hangover, angling his sunglasses down so Luffy could see how his golden eyes were twinkling with mirth, “It’s nice we can joke about things.” Luffy rolled his eyes again yet giggled all the same. 

They hurried through the pharmacy, grabbing two gift bags, two birthday cards with envelopes and a pack of tissue paper. Back in the van, while Law drove them to the harbor district, Luffy arranged the gifts in the bags, topping it with the tissue paper and spent the rest of the ride scribbling out heartfelt messages in the cards. He had a particular fondness for the two women they were celebrating today, not only for the sisterly and motherly fashion that they tended to exert towards him but for the kind way both of them had accepted Law into their lives.

When Law found them a parking spot, he took the cards to sign in that slanted doctor script that Luffy loved watching him write with. He offered Luffy his hand to help him out of the van, taking both of the gift bags in the other and they walked from the parking lot to the buildings that made up the harbor district.

It was rare for Luffy’s family to ever go to a restaurant since they had Sanji but the two ladies celebrating their birthdays had insisted that he take the occasion off and only cover desserts, so they were having brunch at a restaurant of a friend of Sanji’s who he could trust not to screw up such a special day. It was a nice restaurant, situated right on the coast to overlook the ocean that specialized in seafood and drew a sizable crowd on the weekends. 

Luffy felt slightly ridiculous weaving through the linen covered tables in heels and leather overalls to the semi-private room adjacent to the main dining room which had wall to wall windows and a large twenty seater table, cringing at the sight of food already on the table since they were thirty minutes late, though he pushed those feelings aside to grin, feigning nonchalance, “Hi, sorry, we’re late!”

Nami scowled at them, “It’s about time. We already started.”

Luffy rubbed the back of his head sheepishly before opening his arms to hug Vivi, “Yeah, our bad, we overslept.”

“Because we forgot to set an alarm.” Law added, placing the gift bags with the others amassed beside the table. 

They were a party of twelve today because Vivi had brought her boyfriend with her into town this time who winked at Luffy as he stood up to shake Law’s hand, “We haven’t officially met yet, you were a little busy the last time we were in town.” -Read: their wedding day- “I’m Koza.”

Law took his hand briskly, “It’s nice to meet you. I hear you’re in the environmental field, that must be an interesting job.”

“It certainly has its unique challenges.”

Luffy rounded the table so he could place a kiss on Robin’s cheek in greeting before he moved to one of the two empty seats. He started to take his coat off but Law’s hands overtook his own from behind, guiding Luffy’s arms out of the fabric to drape on the back of the chair which he then pulled out for Luffy to sit in. He was normally chivalrous like that, always trying to make life as easy as possible for Luffy but today there was an added pensive look in his eyes that not even his sunglasses could hide, probably still concerned about the stiff way that Luffy had been walking.

Zoro, in the seat across the table from Luffy, grinned as he drank from his glass, lone green eye ever observant, “Where’d you two go to get so drunk?” 

“That obvious, huh?” Law remarked ruefully, pulling his sunglasses off as he sat down. “It was the boyfriend of my bestman, Killer’s birthday.” 

“Interesting name.” Koza commented, sharing a look with Vivi who seemed to remember Killer fondly from the time they had spent together at the wedding. 

“It suits him well,” Law confirmed, “We spent basically the whole night drinking and I might’ve had a whole bottle of tequila to myself. In my inebriated state, I forgot to keep as close of tabs as I usually do on my designated driver.” He chuckled a bit, reaching over to place a hand on Luffy’s forearm, “My lovely husband, wonderful and marvelous as he is in so many regards, is- and I say this with the most heartful fondness-” Law added to Luffy, squeezing his arm teasingly, “Sometimes remiss in what you might call deductive logic, so for example when he tasted something unusual in the jello shots he was consuming, the rational response would have been to stop and inquire about the nature of said jello shots instead of continuing to shotgun them to the point that he became inordinately intoxicated.” 

Luffy giggled, sticking his tongue out to enunciate his point, “My tongue still feels funny.”

“And that was the manner in which we began our morning.” Law finished, picking up the menu to start looking through. Luffy did the same and pretty soon they were eating with the rest of the table. Luffy got crispy fried fish with a waffle that was as large as the plate it was served on and ate most of Law’s crab cakes too when the plate was unceremoniously shoved over, his husband lacking his formidable appetite.

The conversation thankfully got steered away from their drunken adventure and quickly revolved around Robin and Vivi, sharing notable stories about memories, tag-teaming to tell familiar tales to Law and Koza that left everyone laughing uproariously. Luffy forgot about his hangover with his attention so wrapped up in good food and good company; no matter where they were, it always felt like he was home when he was with his family. 

When they finished their brunch, they all bundled up and went out to the parking lot to enjoy the dessert which Sanji had brought, camping out either in the bed of Franky’s pickup truck or the back of Law’s van that had been parked rear bumper to bumper so they could be close and admire the ocean, passing around containers full of sweet treats while continuing their conversations. 

Both Robin and Vivi had what Sanji called ‘sophisticated palates’ which Luffy had been learning meant a bunch of semi or non-sweet desserts that tasted kinda like soap, really good soap but soap all the same. There were squares of strawberry nasturtium lokam, earl gray and lavender madeleines and petit fours which were made of almond pound cake, coconut frosting and a rose water glaze covered with elderflowers. It wasn’t what Luffy would have asked to be made for  _ his _ birthday, however he was never one to turn down any kind of dessert so he ate, pressed thigh to thigh with Law, sitting on a folded spare blanket that they kept in the back of the van.

His feet were cold from the February chill and his head still hurt a bit but the sea breeze that caressed his cheeks was warm. He closed his eyes for a moment, breathing in the salty air, the taste of floral strawberries on his tongue, the overhead sun beating warmly down on his face, the laughter and chatter of his family surrounding him filling his ears and further out the sound of waves crashing along the shore, all the while there was the steady presence of his husband by his side. With a content sigh, he opened his eyes, leaning into Law’s side and the soft wool of his coat, “We should stay out here a while, Shanks used to tell me that sea air was the best cure for a hangover.” 

Law finished nibbling on a madeleine, wiping his hands on a napkin before brushing crumbs off his lap, “I thought a nap might be good too.” 

Luffy perked up at the idea, swinging his heels off the edge of the van excitedly, “Ooh, yeah, a nap!” 

“No sense we can’t do both.” Law hummed back, pressing a kiss to Luffy’s cheek with a wry grin, “After all, the theme of these past few weeks seems to be indulgence.”

Luffy sucked glaze off his fingers, suddenly shy to be confronted about his previous somewhat silly actions, remarking obtusely, “You noticed.”

Law chuckled, a sound now as familiar and treasured to Luffy as the ocean waves themselves, “Subtleties’ never been your strong suit, my love, not that I mind. Indulging you is my favorite hobby and since we’re married now, it’s also my highest honor.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Every time I write about the Kid Pirates I curse Oda for only giving names to four of them, I know he's got more people on his crew, we've seen them and I want their names so I can write them into the fun. 
> 
> This one's getting posted a little later than I intended but I think this is the single longest chapter in this series so enjoy.


	3. Nothing Ventured Nothing Gained

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Are you kidding? I'm ecstatic. I never get to be the trophy husband.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place a little after their fourth anniversary 
> 
> Content Warnings: None

“I just don’t see the point, I mean honestly, meeting at a stupid high-end bar, at 5pm on a Friday night and we’re not even having dinner, we’re having ‘drinks’, even though we could be having a real dinner, like, ugh, you would think we would be past such an outdated thing: men having expensive drinks while they talk about maybe making a business deal. I could talk business over a steak, I’d love to talk business over a steak but instead here we are, going to sit in over-plush leather booths and drink booze.” 

It took a moment for Law to respond since he was so enamored with the animated commentary that had been provided by the dazzling man walking beside him from the parking lot into said high end bar, who was his husband and had been for over four years now. 

When he gathered his wits, he chuckled, “I agree that it’s an overhyped social convention but it’s important to meet clients where they’re comfortable. So Orlumbus has more traditional business practices and he wants to establish a dialogue over drinks,” He placed a hand on the small of Luffy’s back, guiding him towards the bar, “All you have to do is smile prettily, sip a cocktail and score a fifty-six ship deal.” 

Luffy huffed a sigh, “You’re right. I am sorry about dragging you with me though.” 

Law sat on one of the barstools, crossing one booted ankle over the other, “I’ve dragged you to your fair share of hospital events. Besides I was the one who insisted on coming along.”

Luffy swung his legs back and forth on the barstool, “Still you’re just gonna be sitting around.”

“Are you kidding? I’m ecstatic to do just that.” Law wouldn’t have missed the chance to support his husband for anything. They had come to this high end bar in downtown on a Friday night so Luffy could meet up with Orlumbus for drinks, an older man in charge of a fleet of fifty-six ocean liners who had recently begun to show interest in enlisting Luffy’s service as the fleet’s primary ship chandler. It was a big deal for Luffy and the ragtag team he had built to get the opportunity to land such a huge contract; the new business that would be brought in from that one deal alone would be more than all of their other contracts combined and would come with a hefty commission. While Law’s presence wasn’t required for the evening to progress, he had come for moral support, more than willing to spend a part of his Friday night sipping cocktails while Luffy negotiated terms. He allowed himself an almost giddy laugh, “I never get to be the trophy husband.” He placed a hand on Luffy’s thigh, leaning close coyly and lowering his voice to a purr, “But tonight all I’m here for is to be the sexy eye candy draped on the arm of my beloved husband who I am infinitely proud of and very supportive of his future business endeavors.” He kissed the bridge of the lightly freckled nose with a grin, “Anyway we got here early enough it’s still happy hour, so let’s get an appetizer before and after we’ll go have some fun.” 

Luffy kissed him back though on the lips, giggling, “You’re awesome, babe.”

Law mocked a swooning sigh, “You have such a way with words.” 

They were both still laughing when the bartender came over to ask, “What can I get you two?”

Luffy, for once, ordered his drink first, apparently already knowing what he wanted, “I’ll take a passion star martini.” 

Law made an intrigued noise- it was a sweet cocktail that was made with vanilla-flavored vodka, passion fruit liqueur, lime juice, vanilla simple syrup and passion fruit puree served in a chilled coupe glass, garnished with a slice of passion fruit and paired with a chaser of sparkling wine- “I’ll have his chaser too.” He scanned the top shelf, looking over the whiskies they had available, “Plus a Redbreast 15, neat.” 

“And a menu,” Luffy added, “Thanks!”

Law placed his elbow on the bar top to lean his chin into, musing with a wry grin, “You’re getting two drinks in one order, someone’s feeling bold today.”

Luffy took the happy hour menu offered, puffing his chest up a bit, “I figured if I was gonna act like a real business man I might as well drink like one.”

“Just make sure not to get drunk before you seal the deal.” Law advised unnecessarily. His husband rarely got drunk and never anywhere in public besides a nightclub. While Luffy busied himself perusing the menu, Law busied himself by admiring his husband. 

Despite being the professed eye-candy trophy spouse for this particular evening, he wanted to make sure that he wouldn’t upstand his husband’s appearance. There were ample opportunities for Law to dress to the nines but tonight he needed to present an image that was both a bit more traditional than his usual wiles as well as being sexy yet not in a slutty way. It was quite a challenge, one that Law accepted eagerly, deciding that the best course of action was to figure out Luffy’s outfit first then build his own after. 

He wanted to go for a look that felt quintessentially like his husband’s style, just more polished, however nobody showed up to happy hour in a suit and they sure as hell didn’t come in khakis and a polo either. It was truly a fashion quandary. Eventually he settled on a light blue long sleeved button up that was tucked into a pair of red plaid cuffed slacks, complete with a brown leather jacket and brown oxfords, accessorized with the usual wedding rings, a pair of gold studs and a gold and diamond watch. The ensemble was minimal but the results were incredible, especially since he had spent an hour last night ironing the shirt out and pressing the slacks until there were only sharp creases and no wrinkles. Luffy looked poised and vibrant, bright colors in the dark atmospheric bar, his black hair glossy from the argan oil Law had brushed through it before they left the house, deep eyes twinkling with anticipation, in the prime of his twenties and thriving in his career. 

Looking at him, Law felt immense pride and finally had an understanding of what it meant to relish in another person’s success. He had dressed himself in a white pintuck shirt and a pair of black tapered pants that he gave the same detailed attention to with the iron. He had finished the outfit with a matching black diamond necklace and bracelet and a pair of black ankle boots with a measly one and half inch heel. He felt like he had managed to make the outfit chic enough without drawing too much attention and had selected a dark blue velvet peacoat to coordinate with his husband. 

Their drinks came and they did a celebratory toast with their sparkling wine before drinking their other beverages. Law had gotten an irish whiskey, one that was aged for fifteen years which he often enjoyed at classier events, that was smooth in the mouth and full of citrus and vanilla notes. They ordered steamed mussels with beurre blanc, chatting about their plans for the rest of the weekend and people watching while they ate and sipped their cocktails. 

As it got closer to when Orlumbus was going to arrive, Law pulled out a small tin of mints from his inner jacket pocket and gave one to Luffy, “Remember, this is supposed to be a contact meeting so don’t get disheartened if things don’t get made official tonight. Give him the pitch straight up if he asks for it, otherwise just be your normal charming self.”

Luffy popped the mint in his mouth, “Got it.” 

Law kissed him on the cheek encouragingly, “You’re going to do great.” 

Not three minutes later, exactly at the time they agreed upon, Orlumbus came into the bar. Luffy had always described Orlumbus as what you thought of when someone said ‘pirate captain’ and Law could see how someone could make the connection, looking at the older man for the first time. On the barstool beside him, Luffy took a quick breath in and plastered a large smile on his face, standing up eagerly, “Hi!”

“Good evening.” It had been a while since Law had met a person with such a deep, gruff voice, weathered from age like the wood of a well-traveled ship. 

Luffy gestured to him with a grin, “This is my husband, Dr.Trafalgar Law.”

Law extended a hand out to shake courteously, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“The feeling is mutual, Doctor.” Orlumbus greeted back, shaking his hand. Up close, Law noted that the man’s golden hair was plaited into neat braids and his polished boots looked remarkably clean for having trod through snow so he could make the guess that the man had a penchant for tidiness and order which he could relate to being in the medical field.

“Can we buy you a drink?” Luffy offered, flagging the bartender down. 

“I’ll have a dark’n’stormy.” Law approved of the cocktail choice made of dark rum and ginger beer. “Does wonders in weather like this. This winter feels as if it has gone on forever.”

“It certainly hasn’t shown signs of letting up anytime soon either.” Law agreed, “They’re forecasting a snow storm early next week.”

Luffy took a drink of his cocktail, “Hopefully the port won’t freeze over.”

“I doubt it’ll get that cold, it takes a bitter winter season to make the port freeze, hasn’t done it in over ten years. Now that’s a story.” Orlumbus picked up the highball glass that was given to him, “Shall we get a table?”

“I hope you don’t mind my intrusion.” Law stated if only to appear polite as social conventions dictated. 

“No,” Orlumbus mollified, “It is no bother, please sit with us.” He started leading them to an open table along the wall with plush leather booths that Luffy had mocked earlier. As they sat down he admitted to Law, “I’m quite fond of your husband.”

Law couldn’t help the proud grin on his face, “Most people tend to be.”

“I find him refreshing.” Orlumbus elaborated, “Our field could use an infusion of bright, talented people like him.”

“I wholeheartedly agree.” Law remarked, watching as Luffy squirmed with the praise. 

For an hour the three of them kept up a lively conversation, each sharing stories of their lives and interests, including the tale of the last time the port froze over. Law found that Orlumbus was a devoted scholar and kept up with as many areas of study so they talked at length about the most recent social science publication that they had both read with Luffy providing surprising off-the-cuff insights on the topic. Eventually Orlumbus cleared his throat, “Now for the reason we’re here.” 

Law squeezed Luffy’s thigh under the table then stood up with a courteous smile, glass in hand, “If you’ll excuse me, I‘ll be at the bar.” 

He chose a stool that was at the corner of the bar so he could keep an eye on the interaction at the table without openly staring, getting a refill of his whiskey to sip at while he attempted to read the news on his phone but kept being distracted by the group chat he was in with his usual surgical team who were throwing a collective tantrum over one thing or another that the hospital board was doing. At one point, he got into a conversation with a young couple sitting beside him who had noticed his drink and had questions about whiskey sampling which he entertained since he had nothing better to do, waiting for Luffy to wrap up the more formal part of the evening. When the couple left him to his drink, he glanced over to the table to see how things were going. 

Law had always believed that Luffy possessed more charisma in his pinky finger than most people had in their whole bodies and he had seen time and time again when his husband was able to sway complete strangers to like him within minutes yet still watching him work his charm was breathtaking. He seemed perfectly at ease and poised, his hands spread on the tabletop like a magician showing all the cards, entire face transformed with his passion, the gravitational pull he emitted at full force as he discussed details. 

Content that things were going well, Law returned his attention to the bar, signaling to the bartender that he was ready to close out their tab, leaving a hefty tip. A few minutes later, it seemed like things had come to a conclusion as the two stood up from the table and headed over to Law at the bar. 

Orlumbus shook Law’s hand again in parting, “I enjoyed this evening, I look forward to talking to you soon.”

“The feeling is mutual.” Law replied genuinely. 

He clapped Luffy briskly on the shoulder, “Enjoy your weekend.”

“I’ll see you on Tuesday.” Luffy breathed out. 

Law waited until Orlumbus was a respectable distance away before whirling onto Luffy, “How was it?”

“I scored the deal.” Luffy responded with his eyes wide with disbelief.

Law gasped, dumbfounded, “What?”

Luffy nodded, looking equally stunned, “He’s signing a two year contract. We’re having it drawn up on Tuesday.” 

“That’s amazing!” Law gushed, surging forward to gather Luffy in his arms and squeeze him tight, “This is your biggest contract yet. I knew you could do it! You have to text the team tonight!” 

Luffy hugged him back but when they parted enough to look at each other, he continued to have a pensive look on his face, “I didn’t think he’d actually commit tonight. This is crazy.” 

Law raised his arms from around Luffy’s shoulders up to cup his face, peppering his cheeks with adoring kisses, saying sternly, “I’m not sure why you’re so surprised. You heard him, he already liked you.”

Luffy shook his head, “Liking me is one thing, trusting me with his business is another.” Law pursed his lips together, it was vexing to him thinking that his husband couldn’t see himself through his viewpoint, understand how skilled and capable he was.

“Dear,” He admonished lightly, “When are you going to start admitting that you’re good at your job? You’ve built a large enough client base that you’ve been able to hire three additional full-time workers, you’ve been cash flow positive for two years and your customer service ratings are the highest in the city.”

“I’m the only ship chandler in the city.”

“You’re the only independent one,” Law corrected, “You’ve got global companies as your competition and you’re crushing them. You have their executives quivering in their boardrooms, it’s inspiring. Come on, let’s go get dinner.” He picked up his coat to pull it on, “What cuisine feels celebratory to you? You mentioned steak earlier, do you still want that? We could get surf and turf, that sounds luxurious. Anything you want; dessert is a requirement- maybe not ice cream though, it’s cold as fuck.”

Luffy finally seemed to return to his exuberant self, giggling, “Steak is good.” 

They headed out of the bar while holding hands, crossing the parking lot towards their car. Law skirted a slushy puddle, musing, “Fifty-six new ships to service, you’re going to get busy. You’ll still have time for me, won’t you?” 

“Course, babe,” Luffy replied, swinging their joined hands as they walked, “You’re always my top priority.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You don't know how many recipes for cocktails I looked at to try and find something that Luffy might feasibly order, anyway we stan husbands who are supportive of their partner's work lives.


	4. Ombré Shades of Pleasure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Law hummed quietly, elegant fingers tattooed ‘death’ curled around the stem of his glass, swirling the ruby port wine inside, the deep red liquid as rich in color as the blood that he worked with, “They’re terrified of me.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place a few days after Valentine's Day, thirty years after Law and Luffy get married. 
> 
> Content Warnings: Semi-graphic oral and anal sex

Growing up Valentine’s Day wasn’t something that he had, much like every other holiday. Maybe he had celebrated it with Makino when he was younger but if he did he couldn’t remember and there wasn’t much time to make colored hearts out of cardstock or pass out candy when you lived in Gray Terminal or the surrounding forests. 

When he moved in with his second family, he was amazed at how the world transformed into a multitude of hearts and other declarations of love, the seasonal aisles of the grocery store became full of assorted chocolates in heart shaped cardboard boxes, a plethora of little stuffed animals, bouquets upon bouquets of various flowers, all sorts of cards on the subject. At home, there was a huge vase of flowers on the coffee table and the air was constantly permeated with the smell of the dozens of desserts that Sanji made. 

He still had that amazement in the year that followed when Zoro came up with the idea that anyone who didn’t have a date for the love-centric holiday would have to go skinny dipping into the pool under the moonlight as a punishment. In the years that followed, some of the others scrambled to find dates whenever February came around but Luffy never minded, it was fun even if it was cold, and honestly he didn’t have any interest in dating like they did, the way he saw it if he had a date he would have to share his desserts and that was the last thing he wanted so every year he did the Valentine’s Day Single Skinny-Dipping without complaint.

His first Valentine’s he spent away from his family was also the first Valentine’s he spent with Law. They weren’t dating yet, they were just roommates who happened to like each other and flirted a lot but they never did anything definitive, nothing sentimental that could indict just how deep their growing affection for each other was. 

The actual holiday passed between them without mention but two days later, Law came back to the apartment from a shift with three grocery bags full of various packages of assorted chocolates, now discounted that the holiday was over. They had a movie marathon of cheesy rom-coms while they ate and for once Luffy didn’t mind sharing.

Their second Valentine’s together, they were dating and Law pulled out all the stops. He had declared that the theme of the holiday was going to be clichés so Luffy was the recipient of a cute plush bear holding a heart, a large bouquet of flowers and an oversized box of chocolates that were ridiculously good. To top it off when they were at dinner that night, Law gave him an exquisite pavé dome ring made of 10k rose gold that was set with over a hundred small diamonds in various ombré shades of chocolate diamonds that faded to nude diamonds in the center. It was the second piece of jewelry that Law had ever given him and one of his most treasured. He always brought it out for Valentine’s day, the pretty ring that was made of all the various shades of brown much like different varieties of chocolate. 

He’s wearing that ring now, proudly displayed on the middle finger of his right hand, the only jewelry he has beside his wedding rings and a pair of rose gold studs. He coordinated his outfit to match it- brown boots, a pair of olive green slacks and a chocolate brown wool turtleneck that’s soft enough he could sleep in it. The multitude of diamonds glittered as he picked up his phone, checking to see if there were any new messages. 

“Stop checking your phone.”

Thoroughly scolded, Luffy put his phone back down on the tabletop face down, returning his attention back to Law who was discussing his latest grading strategies, “Anyway, things seem to be going alright. I’m keeping my policy of dropping the top five most missed questions on each exam. I’ve found that it helps ease students' minds without having to deal with a potentially jacked up curve, if they get them right they get counted as bonus points. Since I structure my exams in sections based on the subjects covered and gradually increase the questions in difficulty, theoretically the most missed ones should be the hardest ones, but if I find that’s not the case or all the missed questions are centered around a particular subject I allot time for review in the following class period.” 

Luffy grinned at his husband, taking a sip from his wine and letting it linger on his tongue, “I bet they love you for that.”

Law hummed quietly, elegant fingers tattooed ‘death’ curled around the stem of his glass, swirling the ruby port wine inside, the deep red liquid as rich in color as the blood that he worked with, “They’re terrified of me.” 

He was such a striking image, dressed up for their date night in a light gray cable knit sweater, a pair of black slacks and a camel colored double breasted trench coat that matched his wedge ankle boots. He seemed far less intimidating than Luffy knew he could look; all his tattoos were covered by his weather-sanctioned clothing except for the ones on the back of his hands and his moniker finger tattoos, nails painted a light purple at the continued insistence of one member from their household. In the dim atmospheric light of the steakhouse they were at, both the gold chain choker and the long amber pendant necklace that matched his dazzling eyes glittered, the diamonds of his chandelier earrings, studs and his wedding ring reflecting the light back, his white hair looking as luminous and pure as freshly fallen snow. He was smiling in that way that made the lines around his eyes seem sweeter, amused at the thought of his first and second year medical students frightened of his appearance and the hard curriculum he put them through.

Luffy wanted to say that there was no reason for the batch of twentysomethings to be afraid of him acting as a taskmaster, wanted to say that they both knew what real fear was and Law never inspired that in anyone less than his enemies and hadn’t done so for years now but instead simply replied, “Well you can be kinda strict. You did basically bully me throughout my whole degree to make sure I graduated.” 

“Would we call that bullying?” Law teased, smiling into his glass, “I would argue it was aggressive tutoring.” He placed the glass back down, his smile a soft, overly fond thing as he mentally reminisced on the two years that they both hauled ass to make sure Luffy got the degree and subsequently the job he wanted, “It worked though, it was a bit of a bumpy road but here you are, almost twenty three years later, still kicking ass and taking names in the same career.”

Luffy sighed, all at once feeling every second of his almost fifty years, “It’s crazy to think about when you put it like that.” He flipped his phone over to see if there were any missed notifications and frowned, not sure if he should be more troubled about getting a message or the lack of one. 

“It sure is.” Law agreed, “Two careers for you, two for me. Now put your phone back down.”

Luffy put the phone down again and sighed dreamily, setting his elbows on the table to prop his chin up in his palms, “My husband: the professor.” He giggled, picking up his fork with his right hand to start eating again, “I can’t tell if that’s sexy than my husband: the surgeon.”

“They both certainly have their merits.”

“Sure do.”

Their conversation drifted like a flowering seed on a breeze, wandering and going wherever it pleased as they ate their dinner. Their table was surrounded by other couples enjoying the evening on the left side and to their right the window displaying the twinkling downtown skyline and mesmerizing parade of headlights and taillights moving more than twenty floors below them. Luffy had gotten a grilled rib-eye topped with parsley and a béarnaise sauce served with blue cheese croquettes and truffle fries; it was the type of food he loved best, rich and warm- the croquettes were creamy with a crunchy shell, the rib-eye was juicy and Law had kept the wine flowing for both of them in celebration of a rare night out on the town. When Law had eaten his fill, he pushed his plate over for Luffy to finish which he did eagerly though with a roll of his eyes, leave it to his husband to get salmon at a steakhouse. It was as good as his steak with a honey miso glaze, a white sweet potato puree and crispy parsnip fries and it didn’t take long before he had finished and the waiter took their plates away. 

Luffy went to go check his phone again but before he could, Law snatched it up, holding it aloft on his side of the table, out of reach, “That’s it! You’ve lost your phone privileges!”

“No!” Luffy reached over the table, pleading, “I’m sorry, I won’t use it anymore, give it back!”

Law’s golden eyes glimmered with mirth as he teased, “No, I’m keeping it. It is our valentine’s day celebration and you’re not giving me the proper affection and attention that I demand.” 

“But-” Luffy began, pouting. 

“It’s all going to be fine,” Law soothed, setting the phone down to reach out to take Luffy’s hands in his, rubbing calming circles into his skin, “You know they're in good hands.”

“I know,” Luffy acquiesced yet couldn’t stop the slight tremble in his voice as he continued, “But… my babies.”

Law smiled gently, all too aware of Luffy’s separation issues, “They’re not babies anymore, they’re both in school now.”

“They’re four and five,” Luffy argued, “That’s still little.” They were so much bigger than the first day Luffy held them in his arms, when they were barely more than tiny blanket bundles yet were already more precious to him than whole world, now they were full of personality and life, off to school during the days, however he knew that no matter how old they got they would never stop being his little babies that looked up at him like he was the answer to every question that they could ever think of asking. 

“We’ve left them overnight before.” That had been a disaster, only a year ago, Luffy had cried as they left and been so overstressed that they cut their trip short. (Law had cried too and he had cried harder than Luffy on both of the kids’ first day at school.) “I know you worry but they’re already asleep for the night so let’s try to enjoy our night out.”

Luffy let go of Law’s hands since their waiter had come with their desserts, smiling up at her, saying after she left, “I’m sorry.”

Law picked his fork up with a hum, “There’s nothing to apologize for. Now am I going to have to fight you over these or are you going to be civil?” 

Luffy made a conflicted expression just to tease, “I guess, since this  _ is _ our valentine’s celebration.”

They had gotten a rich molten chocolate cake with a chocolate sauce, maple bacon crumble and a whiskey vanilla ice cream, mostly for Luffy to enjoy, and a cheesecake served with a blackberry compote, a parmesan crumble and a mixed berry sorbet which Law ate some of while stealing spoonfuls of Luffy’s ice cream. It’s all really good and Law laughs at the starry-eyed expression Luffy makes when he takes the first bite of decadent chocolate mixed with smoky bacon. 

They finished their dessert and the last drops of wine left in the bottle they had shared before they paid and bundled up to go out into the cold. Law wound a dark gray scarf around his neck and Luffy pulled on his black overcoat that he had draped over his chair. 

As they entered the elevator to go back down to the first floor, Law held out Luffy’s phone and its screen displaying a new message from Robin, “Does this put your mind at ease?”

Luffy took the phone from him, unlocking it and reading the message that confirmed what he already knew, that everything was fine. He tucked his phone into his pocket with a relieved exhale, “Yeah, actually.”

Law wrapped an arm around Luffy’s shoulder, tucking him close to press a kiss to the top of his head, “Good. Because not to sound insensitive or anything but it’s rare nowadays that I get to monopolize your attention and I have some plans in mind to properly spend our time.” 

“Oh, do you?” Luffy mused coyly, “What a coincidence, so do I.” 

-

They barely made it into the house before Law was pinning Luffy against the wall and they were kissing back and forth heatedly as Luffy twisted them so that Law was the one against the wall, forcing his husband's legs to spread wide. Luffy’s hands worked deftly to undo Law’s belt and unbutton his slacks to shove them down enough to let Law’s dick spring free from its confines. He got to his knees right there in the foyer because there were no kids to interrupt them and got sloppy because there was no reason not to be, laving over with his tongue and sucking down hard and deep until Law’s thighs were quivering underneath his ministrations, straining to keep himself upright while he was caught in the throes of pleasure. 

Law let his head thump back against the wall, almost boneless, and Luffy cupped the back of his thighs to make sure he didn’t fall over, patting his thighs reassuringly while giggling.

Law peeled his head off the wall to shake his head in amazement, “Still after all these years. Fuck.” He reached down to pull Luffy upright, eyes tracing the lines of Luffy's mouth, brushing his fingers over the curve of his lips, “That mouth.” 

Luffy giggled again as Law drew him closer, chuckling as well, kissing him despite the excessive amounts of spit and cum that lingered in his mouth. They disengaged after a while to greet their pets who had been doing a good job of not interrupting their owners during their explicit actions and now were demanding attention. 

It doesn’t trouble them to pause their affections and focus that energy on others- after almost three decades of marriage they’ve become experts at placing their arousal on pause to do whatever needs to be done, only to bring it back at full force when they have more time and energy. There’s no urgency in them anymore, there doesn’t have to be, they’ve got decades of shared time within them and they’ve got decades left. Their love has become a winding river, they flow through life absolutely timeless and exhilarated, curving around the challenges that they faced, carving new riverbanks with constant force, sometimes faster and wilder, sometimes slow and idyllically but all the time together and deeply in love. An hour spent playing with their pets, making sure the house was somewhat cleaned after another hectic week with two children under the age of six, the dishes from breakfast and leftover containers from lunchboxes are washed isn’t a bother to them at all. 

Eventually, they navigate their way up to their bedroom and start getting unwound from the day. Law undresses unabashedly by the ottoman but Luffy slips into the closet to shed his topmost layers, reducing himself to only what was hidden underneath the whole evening. 

Coming out of the closet, he places his left elbow on the wall and leans against it, right hand placed on the hip, legs crossed at the ankles, alluringly poised and waiting for attention. He pretends to inspect the tattoo that sprawls across his forearm, a watercolor mixture of ocean waves and nebulas, until Law finally glances over during his process of taking off his jewelry and putting it back into its case. 

Law stills for a long moment, golden gaze taking him in hungrily before he practically purrs and the sheer desire in his voice sends shivers up Luffy’s spine, “Oh, you devious thing.”

Luffy extends his left arm so he’s pushed off the wall, feeling perfectly devious, dressed in a backless teddy, tailored perfectly to his proportions and skintight, made completely of fine black lace with a dramatic plunge neckline that tied into a bow at the neck in a halter strap that sits high on his hips and basically his whole ass hangs out in the back. It displays every inch of the multitude of tattoos that were inked in his skin, the freckles speckled across his shoulders, perfectly highlights his toned legs and arms, the gentle curve from his shoulder to his hips, everything he knows will make his husband crazy with want. 

Law stalks over to him and Luffy meets him halfway, both pulled in like a magnet to a close vicinity of the bed. His husband makes a slow circle around his form, and Luffy allows it, lazily turning his head to follow the calculated movements. Law’s fingers brush against the bow, murmuring with delight, “Look at this,” His hands land on Luffy’s hips, thumbing at the lace that laid there, humming deep in his throat, “All wrapped up with a pretty bow just for me.” He kissed Luffy's shoulder blades tenderly then he moved his mouth to the ties of the bow, pulling at it with his teeth to cause it to loosen, all the while as his hands slipped from the side of Luffy’s hips to get tantalizingly close to his crotch. 

With the bow undone, there was nothing to keep it the top up and it began to fall down, folding over itself and Luffy sighs, hooking his thumbs on the fabric and pulling the whole ensemble down his thighs enough that he can shimmy out of it and cast it aside; its purpose fulfilled. Law shucked his underwear off as well so they were both naked and they both fell sideways to the bed. 

Law seemed intent to repay Luffy’s favor from the foyer, arranging himself further down the mattress to get in between Luffy’s legs, sucking all up at the inside of his thighs, getting closer and closer to his dick but teasingly redirecting every time he got in range, refusing to even put his hands on it or let Luffy to touch it himself. It left Luffy aching until finally he lost his control, much to Law’s delighted surprise, chuckling as he licked the mess clean which was a major turn on and Luffy grabbed his shoulders dragging him over to smash their mouths together. 

After that they both succumbed to the endless abyss that was their passion, the division between their bodies and souls disappearing as they joined together, their hands groping over each other, everything slick and flushed between them, tossing and turning in the sheets for hours. 

Following a steamy shower to clean up, they were dressed in cozy pajamas and snuggling under the covers, readying to go to sleep. Law’s longer body was curled around Luffy’s, lazy kisses placed to any part of Luffy’s body that was in his lips range, sighing, “After over twenty five years, I do miss being able to have sex with my husband whenever and wherever I please, but in a way, it makes our times together seem even more special.”

Luffy hummed in agreement, almost half asleep already, the warm steady weight of his husband all around him, the knowledge that their children were safe at his own family house in the back of his mind, their pets sprawled out around the bedroom to keep them company, “They do say absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

Law’s voice was a hushed thing to not disturb the peace made by the waves providing ambiance and the subdued atmosphere of their love, “It feels impossible for me to be fonder and yet,” A kiss was placed to his lips tenderly then the softest exhale, “Here we are.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Law would be simultaneously the most intimating and sexist professor. Luffy would like Halloween and Valentine's Day for the same reason: discount candy afterwards.  
> Sorry for the late update, I ended up needing to have emergency surgery earlier this week, I'm fine now, but it keeled me over for a few days.


	5. Consider Myself Fortunate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So far, the chase had barely initiated, Law was merely another driver speeding on a darkened road but that was about to change. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set eight years after Law and Luffy get married. 
> 
> Content Warnings: Semi-graphic murder and torture

This moment is a cacophony of senses, all hyper focused in his mind, adrenaline coursing through his whole being, making his awareness sharper, almost crystallized in its intensity. 

The cold February air is streaming into the car, fast enough that their hair whipped in the wind hard enough to sting their cheeks and made them thankful for the goggles they had on, else their eyes would start watering from the rushing air. Luffy had taken over the aux cord a while ago and there was some sort of trap music blasting out from the speakers, a throbbing bass that he can feel in his chest and has him tapping out the beat on the steering wheel. They had just been cruising up and down this stretch of highway for thirty minutes when they had gotten the heads up that they were in the fifteen minute window and then the atmosphere had become electric with anticipation and excitement. 

They were up to almost 90 miles per hour, well within the limits of the souped-up sports car that belonged to the family, made for missions just like this, outfitted with an additional turbocharger and a roll cage, the two doors welded shut, painted an almost matte black with xenon headlights, meant for the chase in the dead of night, on two lane back roads such as this, with few streetlights and long stretches of highway without exits, places where there was nowhere to hide and ample opportunities for ambushes.

They had gone in four teams for this excursion; one from the opposing direction as a two-way blocker, one as the primary pursuer, one as a tail for the whole journey and them- poised in waiting till the moment of strike, where patience and careful planning exploded into action and yes, there were going to be explosions. They had little over seven miles to get the job done which boiled down to a little over five minutes at the speed they were going, less if he pushed it which he would because now he could see their target: a semi truck and two flanking motorcycle guards one on each side. 

The three opposing drivers were almost hilariously exposed and oblivious of the trap they were driving straight into- the opposite lane of the road ahead was blocked and the same went for the road behind them, the charges were perfectly set, all the equipment needed in place, there would be no witnesses, no authorities, no traceable evidence, just a swift and brutal exchange that got them what they wanted. 

Law had two tasks this evening, primarily as a driver in charge of the pursuit but also as a deterrent. So far, the chase had barely initiated, he was merely another driver speeding on a darkened road but that was about to change. 

He pushed the car into the upper nineties, only a short distance behind one of the cyclists, then initiated cruise control before taking his foot off the gas pedal, “Take the wheel. Try to keep it straight.”

Luffy leaned over the middle console to take the wheel as instructed, leaving Law free to ready his handgun that had been waiting unloaded on the dashboard. With that finished, he unbuckled his seatbelt and maneuvered himself to poke his head out of the window, followed swiftly by the rest of his torso, making sure to hold onto the grab handle attached to the inner ceiling of the car with his right hand to be an anchor so he didn’t accidentally lose his balance as he came to sit on the edge of the window, leaning precariously out of the car. 

The wind was absolutely bitter traveling at this speed and he was once again thankful for the sports goggles he had on, giving himself a few seconds to get used to the feeling before he raised his left arm. It was difficult to get an accurate shot moving like this but he had been trained to always have steady hands so his aim went true, right in the sweet spot that was unprotected by the helmet, above the shoulders.

The bullet went straight into the thyroid cartilage, severing the sternothyroid muscle and ripping the jugular vein. It wasn’t an instant kill like a bullet to the brain but he didn’t want to risk missing overall by aiming too high and he knew it would be around a minute before the man bled out. As is, the impact was enough to jerk the whole body, careening the motorcycle to the side as the man slumped over. Both man and motorcycle went sideways, crashing into the asphalt and beginning to roll. Law went back into the car’s interior as quickly as he could so Luffy could steer them away from the ensuing wreckage. On the other side of the semi, the same thing happened to the other cyclist, though the other vehicle immediately began to slow down, to stay behind and deal with the bodies which meant Law was in the clear to speed ahead with five miles left. 

He handed over his gun to Luffy, disengaged cruise control and floored the gas, grinning all the while, “Now the real fun begins.”

Phase one was to tail the convoy to make sure that they kept on route, phase two was to take out the guards leaving the semi truck unprotected, phase three was all dependent on Law’s husband. They had three miles to Law’s sole exit and two more miles after that for Luffy to get to safety. If they missed either mark the whole mission so far would be awash and they’d have to shift to the backup plan and with all the variables they were dealing with, it would become infinitely more dangerous. 

At speeds of over a hundred and ten miles per hour, the mileage was quickly slipping away from them and with it precious time yet Law forced himself to breathe steadily through the adrenaline, trusting the plans in place and having faith in his husband’s capabilities. The driver of the semi finally realized he was in danger, now that the two escorts were taken care of but it was too late, there was no way he could shake them off as Law pushed the sports car into position right behind the semi, nothing to do in retaliation except maybe slam on the brakes except that wouldn’t work either with the cargo being carried. 

Luffy tucked his hat into the glove compartment for safekeeping and started to crawl out of the window himself, except instead of sitting on the windowsill, he crawled completely out of the car and onto the roof, making use of the bungee cords that Law had run around the roof and through the interior to keep his grip as he took a crouched position on the roof. 

“Be careful.” Law advised, shouting to be heard over the wind. This plan worked out well on paper but the execution that it required was frightening. 

“Don’t worry.” Luffy shouted back with a laugh, probably having the time of his life giving Law a heart attack. Law floored the gas pedal one last time to get as close to the semi as he could without ramming into the rear end and it was at that moment that Luffy jumped. 

He grabbed onto the back, fingers just gripping the top of the trailer and began to climb upwards until he was able to haul himself onto the roof of the semi. 

Law immediately released the gas pedal, allowing the car to decelerate rapidly while keeping in control, steering it to the right to take the exit ramp, the last one available before the road became a bridge crossing a winding river. 

He sped down the ramp onto the service road, his blue headlights illuminating the night, watching over his left shoulder to the dark figure on top of the semi making his way to the front of the trailer and the narrow space that was between it and the cab of the semi. He lost visual for a bit which was disconcerting but not unexpected as he continued to lose speed, coming up to the curve in the service road that wound away from the river, pulling to a stop as the semi started to cross the bridge. There was less than two miles now and at that speed it would only be a minute or so before the window of opportunity slipped away. Law felt his nerves wound tighter, putting the car into park yet not getting out in case he needed to begin the pursuit again. 

Then, before Law’s eyes, it happened. 

It was an air-release fifth wheel, capable of dumping its cargo even in motion by either pressing a little knob on the dashboard which forced the jaws connecting the trailer to open with compressed air or by using the method Luffy was employing which was cutting the line entirely. When that was done, it triggered the brakes on the trailer to lock up, essentially making it into a brick wall, which was why Law had taken the exit, why their second vehicle had stopped four miles up the road and why they had blocked off any other traffic from coming in either direction. 

The second Luffy cut the line, the trailer jerked violently as its wheels locked, separating from the cab that continued to drive forward, the driver unaware that Luffy had even gotten onto the trailer and now unable to stop in time as the connection was severed. 

Something as heavy as a semi-trailer didn’t just stop outright, even with the emergency brakes initiated, especially not at this speed, the whole thing wobbled, crashing into the side of the divider as it lost control. Law’s heart lurched into his throat, a true fear beginning to work its way in him when a figure, barely visible under the moonlight, leapt off the top of the trailer, angled sideways to clear the highway and dove down to the water over thirty feet below. 

“He’s clear.” Law gasped out into his handheld transceiver, hurrying to shimmy out of the window, past caring what happened in the rest of the mission as long as his husband was safe. 

He managed to make it halfway to the riverbank before a multitude of things occur simultaneously: the trailer crashes into the side of divider again and then ricochets off to go across the lanes and slam into the opposite divider and come to a shuttering standstill but thankfully doesn’t tip over, the driver of the truck tries to come to a stop in a way that won’t cause him to get into a wreck, Luffy’s head pops out of the water and the detonators go off. 

It’s like someone lights sparklers moving from one segment further down the bridge towards them, it's almost faster than Law can comprehend it, six segments each get a bright flash on key structural points then there’s a secondary charge and each segments gets lit up again and then it collapses in on itself, crumbling and breaking apart as the sound finally reaches Law’s ears. 

With bright spots dancing in his eyes, he threw himself into the reeds as the shockwave expanded outwards on instinct, feeling the heat and harsh wind rush over his body while debris went flying. It’s a mostly controlled explosion so there’s only a few pieces that are thrown about but most of the structure just drops to the water below and with it goes the cab of the semi and its driver still inside. 

It all took less than ten seconds before the air stopped rumbling and the dust started to settle. When he’s able to catch his breath, he pushes himself up onto his hands and knees, peering out onto the water again to scan frantically for the form of his husband, “Are you alright, sweetie?”

There was a squawk and a splash, “The water is freezing!”

Law laughed a bit, feeling a little hysterical from all the adrenaline, “Did you see that explosion?!”

Luffy whooped in response as he swam towards the shore, “That was crazy cool!”

Law got as close as he could to the river’s edge without getting his shoes wet, since it made no sense for both of them to get wet, tracking Luffy’s body moving through the dark water, surveying the damage of the bridge and the cab of the semi that hadn’t completely sunk yet, “That driver is either completely dead or he really wishes he was.”

“Totally.” Luffy agreed, now able to stand up and wade through the hip deep water. He shook his hair out, much like their dogs back at home, to try and rid it of the excess water, before trooping through the mud in sodden boots that squelched. 

Law chuckled, reaching his hand out for his husband to pull him up the riverbank. Luffy was already shivering and they both hurried through the reeds towards the car. 

The fingers on Law’s right hand still fumbled in the cold so he didn’t attempt to unlace Luffy’s combat boots, instead he focused on unzipping the wetsuit while Luffy bent over to work on getting his boots off. 

Between the two of them, Luffy was able to strip quickly and Law grabbed the towels he had stashed in the car to dry him off as much as he could before they even attempted to get back into the car. Law surveyed the area for any potential threats- they had chosen that stretch of bridge because they knew they could control whoever was around but now that they had actually destroyed a bridge, he was eager to get far away from the scene of the crime. “We need to go.”

With teeth chattering, Luffy nodded, crawling into the car and cranking up the heater, pulling on the change of clothes he had brought as Law dumped his soaking wetsuit and boots into the trunk before climbing in himself. 

Law put the car in reverse until there was enough room to turn around and went back up the exit ramp the way he had come down, to where the two vehicles following him had already arrived, their occupants milling about and crowing about the triumphant explosion. 

Law scowled as he pulled up, disapproving of his siblings premature celebration, though he cracked a grin when Gladius trooped over, rolling his window down, “You think you overdid it a bit?”

Gladius leaned down to rest his elbow on the window, completely nonchalant over the destruction he had caused, “Nah. This bridge was in serious need of repair, I did the city a favor by destroying it, now they’ll have to repair it. They should be thanking me.”

“I’ve got a feeling they won’t view it that way.” Law remarked dryly, “Is the trailer still drivable?”

They both glanced over to where Buffalo was inspecting the trailer, the sides were all scraped up and it looked like part of the back axle was warped, “I think. I mean, it’s fucked up but it should be able to get to the meetup point.”

Law laid on the horn in two short bursts in a signal, “Then let’s get it hitched and go. We’re too exposed out here. We’ve got to get to the transfer spot soon and get switched out before the description gets circulated.” 

“Right,” Gladius tapped the windowsill once, standing up and yelling to the others, “You heard him!”

Phase three had been to get control of the trailer, thereby giving them access to its contents which had been conducted by the tag team of Law and Baby killing the guards while in pursuit, who had Sugar as her driver, leaving Luffy able to free the trailer, followed by Gladius’ rigged detonations to take out the bridge and the driver. Phase four was for Buffalo to drop the trailer that was hooked up to the semi cab that he drove while following them into the river then hook up the stolen trailer so that he could drive to the rendezvous point where they would meet up with Dellinger who was driving another semi truck and currently blocking the opposite side of the now broken bridge so that they could switch out the contents of the trailers, ditch the stolen one and then do phase five, which was getting their asses home before the sun came up. 

While Law and Luffy had executed their part of the plan then dried Luffy off, Baby and Sugar had disposed of the bodies and vehicles of the two motorcyclists and Buffalo had dropped his trailer into the water which was rigged with explosives so when it hit the river bottom it exploded, making it look damaged much like the original cab. The mismatch between cab and trailer would be discovered eventually but it would buy them enough time to move the contents and ditch the original trailer. As for now, everyone started to get ready to move out again, each with their own set routes to get back home to avoid any suspicion of traveling together. 

Due to Law’s hyped up sports car, they were put on the back roads to try and not arouse any attention of law enforcement with Law keeping the car at a reasonable mileage above the speed limit, weaving through miles of dark countryside until nearly an hour later they arrived at the cobblestone driveway that was Law’s family house right as the other three vehicles pulled in. 

Despite it being a little before four in the morning, the courtyard was a flurry of movement as servants rushed to drive cars into the line of garages and begin to unload the trailer’s contents to carry into the secret factory underneath the southern building. On the porch, waiting for them, illuminated by the patio lights were various older people, but most prominently two tall men in feather coats. 

Doflamingo was laughing already, arms outstretched wide as he declared, “What wonderful children I have to bring me such a gift!”

Diamante guffawed, “It certainly seems like everything went well, you’re all ten minutes earlier.”

“Quite impressive for a bunch of kids.” Lao G remarked while a few others agreed.

Sugar flipped a strand of hair out of her face, huffing, “Is anyone ever going to tell them that the youngest, me, is in their twenties, so like, not actual kids anymore.”

“Honestly.” Baby added, probably looking forward to getting to go upstairs and into bed with her husband and two year old daughter.

“It’s a family thing,” Luffy piped up, crawling out of the car for the final time that night, “Mine still treats me like I’m fourteen even though I’m almost twenty seven.” 

“Please don’t remind me.” Law grumbled, freed from the confines of the car and stretching out his spine, “Every year you get older, I get older too.”

“How do you think I feel?” Rosinante chimed, having stepped off the patio to wrap a blanket around Luffy’s shoulders, “Have you gotten warmed up enough? It’s a terribly cold night.”

“I’m fine.” Luffy answered, though his hair was still a little damp despite the vigorous towel drying he had subjected it to.

Rosinante’s chestnut eyes glimmered in the light pouring out of the house, “Well, come inside right away anyway.”

“Yes, yes!” Giolla beckoned, having already bundled up Sugar and Dellinger even though they didn’t get wet, “We’ve got plenty of hot food and drinks waiting.”

“A celebration!” Doflamingo proclaimed, “To the continued success of our family!”

The others cheered and Law let himself be dragged along, rolling his eyes over their antics. 

Rosinante hummed reproachfully while they walked up the steps to the house, “I’m not sure why you all insisted on blowing the bridge up and having someone cut the line only to dive into the water. Couldn’t you have far more easily, just killed the guards and hijacked the semi by blocking off the road like you did?”

Luffy giggled, “It’s more fun this way. That explosion was awesome.” 

Law had a more defined reason for the display of force, “Anyone could hijack a vehicle, what we did sent a message to the authorities and anyone else that whoever did pull off the operation are very skilled and dangerous, far above a common thug or upstart group.” Though they had made sure there was no incriminating evidence linking them to the crime, it was still obvious that the whole series of events had been done by professionals and as such served as a warning in testament to their power, even if they went unidentified. 

Doflamingo regarded Luffy as they approached, calculating eyes hidden behind his sunglasses, “It seems you did well in your part.”

Luffy- Law’s beloved husband whom he had almost permanently given up the use of his right arm just for the privilege of marrying him, now in his mid-twenties is as bold as ever, seemingly unaffected by the way Doflamingo towers over him and how with every action he does to help Law in his family’s vile business only incriminates him further as an accomplice- doesn’t even blink. His gaze remains cool and his voice is level, not haughty or artificially unemotional, merely straightforward as he replies, “I didn’t do it for you. I don’t give a damn about advancing your business, I did it because Law asked me to and I’d do anything to support him, he could just as easily asked me to kill you and I’d do it.”

Rosinante and Law both freeze at the daring statement however Doflamingo is far too used to going back and forth with Luffy and calmly smiles that one smile that would spell death for anyone else but to Luffy is only an acknowledgement of mutual power, “Then I consider myself fortunate, he did ask for your help.”

Luffy nods sharply, dispelling the tension between the two of them, breezing into the house with a blanket around his shoulders like a king dons on a cape, utterly regal as he crosses the threshold into a house that would sooner destroy him than welcome him. 

Law exchanges a wary look with Cora, both still awed almost a decade later with how brazen Luffy is when dealing with a psychopath drug lord. Law supposes it’s because his husband is just as crazy but in different ways and is struck by the thought that he might be crazy too for falling in love with such a man. 

The thought buoys him into the house where he is quickly drawn into the warm kitchen with everyone else, the late hour doing nothing to dampen their moods, boisterous as they serve themselves bowlfuls of salmorejo, mugs of hot apple cider mixed with añejo tequila along with baskets of buñuelos. It's probably one of the best nights he’s spent with his family in a long while, their mood triumphant as they laugh and tease each other, perched on the countertops and the large granite island or just hovering around the stovetop, unwilling to lose their proximity to each other.

After they’ve eaten their fill, they go up to Law’s room on the second floor and Law crowds Luffy under the showerhead to make the shower steamy in other ways before they fumble into Law’s twin XL bed and go to sleep only a little while before the sun rises. 

—

Law woke up a little after the noon hour, blinking sleepily at his surroundings with slight confusion until he remembered the late night mission from the hours preceding and that he’s merely spent the night in his old room at the family house as opposed to being transported fifteen years in the past. 

The room had obnoxiously remained unchanged from when he had moved out at the age of nineteen as a way to tease him and the more matured life he lives now. He knows that Doffy does it on purpose because every time he comes back to visit on his own, the sheets and comforter on his bed are the gray set that he had when he was teenager but whenever he brings Luffy with him, his bed is made up with the childish space rocket and planets set that he had when he was first adopted into the family.

He gazes at the remnants of the life he used to live, the items he hadn’t deemed worthy enough to bring with him when he moved out- mostly lesser important memorabilia and novelties displayed on the row of bookshelves against the long wall, posters of fleeting interests left taped up on the black walls, the clothes that remained in his closet, long outgrown yet left hanging up- all meticulously cleaned so whenever he returned it was like nothing had changed. 

He laid in bed, lazily holding onto the soft caress of sleep that still clung to his limbs, musing idly about the time that had passed and how far he had come since he had packed up the most of his stuff and moved into an apartment on his own, that he was in his mid-thirties now and was squeezed into his twin XL with the most wonderful man he had ever met whom he was inordinately in love with and married to then realized that said man pressed to his side was far too hot for comfort. 

He shifted somewhat upright, twisting in bed to lean over his husband who was still sleeping, his heart pinching at the involuntary shudder Luffy gave at the shifting covers allowing cooler air to enter the cocoon of blankets and the deep flush that was on his sweaty face. Law almost whined, devastated over the ill health of his partner, a response from his immune system probably caused from some bug picked up from his midnight dive into water in the mid-forties. He wrapped Luffy up in his arms, placing a soft kiss to his brow to rouse him, crooning, “Oh my darling. Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t feeling well?”

Luffy, to his credit, doesn’t try to feign ignorance over the issue, blinking up at Law with glassy sleep-ladened eyes, “Didn’t feel so bad earlier.”

Law hummed in response, feeling Luffy’s neck carefully to gauge the stiffness and any possible swelling and finding none thankfully. He smoothed a hand through Luffy’s sweaty bangs before getting out of bed and heading to the bathroom to start running the bath. 

He returned to the bedside, kneeling down so that his face was level with Luffy’s, “Do you think you’re able to stand? I’m sure you feel all gross and sweaty and it’ll take some time to get something for you to eat so a bath might be nice in the meantime.”

“Yeah.” Luffy mumbled, slowly sitting upright till his feet rest on the carpet and taking the hand that Law offers to stand up. He walks to the bathroom gingerly, like the aches caused by the fever was exasperating old injuries but his complexion wasn’t chalky and he didn’t seem dizzy so Law simply gave him an arm to lean on, providing a comforting presence without hovering. Law helps him strip out of his sweaty pajamas, abandoning the clothes on the floor to guide Luffy into the lukewarm bath who has the energy to roll his eyes, “You don’t have to hold me. I can get into a tub on my own.”

“I’m just being precautionary,” Law placates as Luffy eases himself down to sit in the water, “You can’t blame me from trying to keep my husband from braining himself on the side of the tub if he slips, I’m far too young to be a widower.” 

“Wouldn’t it be better if someone was a widower earlier,” Luffy argues lightly, sighing as he leans back, “Cause they could go through a mourning period and get remarried by the time they’re too old to date. I bet you’d be remarried by fifty.” 

“Fifty?” Law remarked, grabbing a washcloth from the neat stack left on the countertop to dunk into the water and picking up one of Luffy’s arms so he could start washing the limb, “That’s sixteen years away.”

“I’m demanding a ten year mourning period minimum.” Luffy responded solemnly though Law could see the way his lips were threatening to tip into a smile. 

Law chuckled, pleased that Luffy was feeling alright enough to tease about such a morbid topic which only confirmed his suspicion that it was only a low grade fever they were dealing with, a momentary lapse of health as opposed to something more serious. He ran the washcloth gently over his husband's body, cleaning away any lingering sweat with the rapt attention he usually had whenever he slipped into his role as a medical practitioner. 

He had favored being a surgeon over every other career in the medical field because it was very clinical and sterilized and only required him to be good at whatever procedure he’s employing. After the way he grew up, he never had the temperament to comfort people and in his chosen profession there’s no need to try to pretend. He doesn’t have to fumble through any sort of bedside manner or aftercare, he doesn’t deal with concerned loved ones or comforting those in pain, he does the surgery then sends the patient to post-op and he’s fine with that. 

But it had always been different with Luffy. Since the day they met, Law devoted himself to Luffy, first just under the pretenses of helping him heal in his time of extreme grief then rapidly transforming to the promise of every day for the rest of their lives. He used to feel like his hands were too bloodstained to properly comfort someone and yet here he is, taking care of his sick husband like he was made for nothing else.

Once he’s satisfied that Luffy’s thoroughly clean and relaxed, he leaves Luffy to soak and reenters the bedroom, quickly stripping the bed and gathering up the discarded clothes to replace with clean ones. He had worn a thermal shirt and flannel pajama bottoms to bed so he’s not bothered to step out of his bedroom without changing, gaining the attention of some of the servants that lingered around the living quarters and assigned them tasks with the same assertiveness he used on orderlies in the hospital. 

They take away the contaminated fabric, bringing another set of sheets to make the bed up again- minus a comforter and only a thin blanket on top of the sheets-, retrieving the thermometer and aspirin for him as well as bringing a bottle of water, a banana and a steaming mug of echinacea tea with honey which they leave for him on the nightstand. From his closet he selects a pair of cotton pajama bottoms and a college t-shirt that’s been worn soft from time for Luffy to wear. 

Luffy towels off sitting on the closed lid of the toilet, dressing in the clothes that Law gives him and letting himself be bullied back into bed without fuss, allowing his temperature to be taken before he is plied with tea and slices of banana, made to swallow a pill once the food has settled in his stomach. He’s so wrapped up in making sure Luffy is comfortable that he doesn’t realize the time and curses when he does. 

He left Luffy scrolling listlessly through his phone’s feed and quickly sought out Rosinante, finding his pseudo-father hunched over a desk in the library and asking in lieu of a greeting, “Will you watch after Luffy? I have an execution to conduct and he’s sick.”

Rosinante put the book he had been reading down, face already crumbling in sympathy, “Oh, no, the poor thing.”

“He’s just run down from last night,” Law explained, “I thought the wetsuit and fast change would help keep something like this from happening but I guess the best way to prevent getting sick after diving into cold water in February is to not dive into cold water in February.”

“You’re so smart, Law, you should go to med school.” At the exaggerated roll of Law’s eyes, Cora confirmed, standing up and gathering his things, “Of course, I’ll look after him.” 

They made their way back up to Law’s room, where Rosinante immediately positioned himself by the bedside, running a soothing hand over Luffy’s hair, cooing, “Not feeling so well, are we, sunshine? That’s alright, we’ll have you back to bouncing around in no time.” He addressed Law then, “Now don’t you worry or rush your work. You know I have plenty of experience nursing people back to health.” He assured, referring to the years that he spent tending to Law while he had been sick and dying and the subsequent healing process that followed. “We’ll be just fine without you for a while.”

Law was wary about abandoning his husband but was even more wary of the fit Doffy would throw if he didn’t get his job done during the brief stint that he was at the family house so he left, heading to the southern building and the operating theater that awaited him.

The whole ordeal lasted for over three hours, which normally would be admirable for a person to hold out so long under Law’s vicious assault, except in this instance it was just seconds longer that he was forced away from his ill husband.

Eventually he managed to extract the information he needed, though it did require the rare use of a modified blood eagle before the man’s will broke. He hurried to finish up his report and turn it into the record room so he was free from his duties as torturer. 

They had orange trees on the property and thankfully they were in season so in the kitchen Law juiced a few and blended it with ice and a bit of coconut water to produce a slushy consistency that he poured into a lidded tumbler with a straw to prevent spilling before he returned to his bedroom. 

Cora seemed to have abandoned his shoes to curl up onto the bed with Luffy, his long limbs tucked in close so that he would have a chance of fitting on the narrow bed as they both watched a movie. Just by laying his eyes upon his husband’s face, Law knows he’s feeling better, still flushed but not nearly as miserably looking, dressed and resting comfortably in Law’s old clothes with empty bowls and glasses on the nightstand a testament to the dutiful care he’s received. 

Both his father and his husband's eyes brighten when they see Law approaching and Law is suddenly enveloped with the feeling of how lucky he truly is to have made it to this moment in time. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the well-wishes, I'm feeling much better though I am still playing catch up after lost time. I had a fun time writing the heist part and will continue to sprinkle in the fact that one day the tension between Doffy and Luffy will explode, we love slow build-ups


	6. The Thought That Counts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What are you thinking about?” Law hummed, placing a kiss to Luffy’s cheek, “I can practically see the gears turning in that pretty head.”   
> “You think it’s pretty?” Luffy asked incredulously just to hear the low, rich chuckle that Law gives in response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Centers around Sanji’s 18th, 23rd and 29th birthdays. 
> 
> Content Warnings: None

Luffy tapped his pencil on his notebook, frowning sourly at his history book. He doesn’t understand why Robin loves the subject so much, learning about wars was alright but this unit they were trudging through about the foundation of the current government was so boring. 

He’s been trying to fill out this study sheet for over an hour, in preparation for the test on Friday. He had given up trying to find answers from the jumble of notes he’s taken over the past six weeks because some of it was completely unreadable since history was his first class of the day and he had a bad habit of dozing off during it. Now he’s just flipping through the textbook but it’s slow going and he can feel the restless energy building under his skin the longer he forces himself to sit at the dining table. 

He’s already listless after suffering through seven hours of sitting around in school earlier in the day but he gets extra credit if he finishes the review sheet and he’s definitely going to need that since his score on the test is going to be abysmal because history is the worst. It seems like a waste of a Wednesday afternoon- the only chunk of time Luffy ever gets the house all to himself while everyone else is busy either with work, school or some other event that steals them away from Luffy’s company- and he really doesn’t want to do it except he promised Robin that he’d work on this before she got home to help him. 

Before he’s able to work himself into a completely agitated state, the front door unlocks, providing a much needed distraction as one of his family members returns.

There’s only one person who shows up around this time on Wednesdays and Luffy scrambled to get to the door, skidding on the wood floors on bare feet in his haste, beaming, “Hi! Welcome home!” 

“Geez, at least let me get through the door.” Sanji groused, cracking a smile anyway as he deposited his coat and shoes in their assigned places, “You’re like a damned eager puppy.”

Luffy bounced after Sanji as he moved towards the kitchen, rummaging through the canvas bag he carried as he did, “I’d say I’m better, because I can do more stuff and I’ve never peed where I’m not supposed to.” 

“Those are some low standards of comparison.” Sanji mumbled, hoisting up the small paper sack he fished out of his bag for Luffy to pounce on.

Sanji was always bringing food home for Luffy from his work, sometimes it was new recipes for him to taste test but mostly it was just leftovers for Luffy to indulge in. Today it was some sort of vegetable tart, thinly sliced turnips primarily, with the flakiest crispy crust that made his eyes roll back in his head with bliss, “This is so good!”

Sanji hid the pleased upturned curve of his mouth behind the cigarette he lit, opening the lone window of the kitchen to let the acrid smell of smoke waft out of the house, the February air chilling the room though it wouldn't stay cold long once Sanji started to cook. He began to move around, gathering kitchen utensils and getting ingredients from the pantry to begin preparations for dinner to be served in a few hours, an economy of practiced motion that always impressed Luffy, skills he could never hope to master. 

Resolving himself to go back to his study guide in a few minutes, he sat on top of the counter, strategically placed so that his legs hung in front of the coupon drawer to ensure he stayed out of the way of anything that Sanji needed, “What are we having for dinner?”

Sanji, preoccupied with pulling pans from the hanging rack, jerked a thumb over his shoulder to the fridge, “Check the schedule.”

Luffy hopped off the counter and went to the fridge as instructed, shoving more of the tart in his mouth. Breakfast was whatever Sanji felt like making and lunch was on your own but Sanji always had a running list of what he planned for dinner that week on a whiteboard that had different colored magnets for each of them to use to mark on days that they were going to be there for dinner or not. It was a way for Sanji to keep track of how much food he should prepare each evening to help with his shopping for the week therefore helping Nami out with the monthly budget. 

He scanned over the whiteboard, causally absorbing the planned menus and the dates then realized something exciting, “Hey, wait! It’s your birthday this weekend!”

Almost immediately Sanji’s movements became almost brittle from a sudden tension that startled Luffy with its drastic knee jerk reaction, “Yeah, mine and my three asshole brothers.”

“Oh yeah,” Luffy forgot sometimes that Sanji had like four siblings since Sanji had never introduced them and seldom mentioned them at all, “You guys are like twins but there’s four of you, uh, what do you call it?”

“Quadruplets.”

“That’s so cool!”

Sanji slammed a skillet on the burner with much more force than he needed, “It’s annoying, that's what it is.”

Luffy didn’t get why having a birthday would be annoying; in his mind sharing a birthday with any siblings, friends or family conjured up images of an even bigger party, more presents, a larger or multiple cakes, a compounding of celebration. He didn’t mind sharing things with his brothers but maybe Sanji did and that was fine, as far as Luffy knew his three brothers weren’t going to be there that weekend which meant it was up to Luffy and the rest of his found family to make sure Sanji had a great birthday, “We should throw a huge party!”

Sanji blew out a plume of smoke, waving a hand dismissively yet not unkindly, “Sure. Now go away, I bet you still have homework to finish and I have cooking to do.”

Luffy skipped back to the dining room, settling back down at the table in front of his history textbook but his thoughts were preoccupied with what to get Sanji for his birthday and whether some of the older members of the family already begun planning for a party or had the approaching date slipped their mind like it had with Luffy. 

* * *

Five years later, he realized with a jolt that they never did throw that party. 

He can’t remember why exactly they didn’t have the party, he knows for sure that they celebrated it, they would never miss a birthday but maybe they had combined it with Franky’s since they were so close, the details are foggy. When he considers it, he’s not certain what they’ve done in the years since either. 

“What are you thinking about?” Law hummed, placing a kiss to Luffy’s cheek, “I can practically see the gears turning in that pretty head.” 

“You think it’s pretty?” Luffy asked incredulously just to hear the low, rich chuckle that Law gives in response, feeling the way it reverbs through his husband’s chest from where he’s pressed up against Law. 

It’s midafternoon on a Sunday and they’re curled up under the covers together with both Bepo and Sunny laying at their feet, taking shelter from the cold weather outside in their warm bedroom. (Polar’s wandering around somewhere; she doesn’t like to give affection when the dogs are on the bed too.) 

It’s the end of February and it’s been a long hard winter, in the way that has Luffy longing for warmer weather, makes him feel sluggish as the gray skies above linger and has him taking every chance he can to be lazy, especially if that chance includes snuggling with his husband. 

Law’s gone downstairs to tend to the pets and get some food to bring back up for them but Luffy hadn’t gotten out of bed at all except to go to the bathroom to pee and wash up after their morning romp under the sheets. In this moment, Luffy’s wrapped up in Law’s longer form, idly tracing the swirling tattoos on his husband's chest as his spouse reads. “Sanji’s birthday is next week.”

“And?” Law prompts, tucking a bookmark in between two pages and closing the book to give Luffy his full attention.

The weight of his golden-eyed gaze always stirs something inside of Luffy, infuses him with a profound sense of security, a dizzyingly rush of love and it’s never been easier to speak what’s on his mind when Law’s there to listen and provide insightful opinions.

Luffy doesn’t stop the movements of his fingers over the smooth inked skin of Law’s bare chest, “It’s his birthday and I don’t think we’ve ever done something to really celebrate him which is weird.”

“Well, everyone feels differently on certain issues.” Law reasoned, “You like to do exciting things for your birthday while Zoro doesn’t and Brook doesn’t really care as long as you’re all together. All of those are fine, when it comes down to it it’s the person’s birthday so they get to choose whichever way they want to celebrate it. And you’ve told me a bit about his family situation, maybe he just doesn't like having a big deal made of it.”

“But I don’t feel like it’s just that.” Luffy argued lightly, “If he doesn't want to have a huge party, that’s fine, I’m not going to force him to do stuff except-” He stops then, on the verge of flustered over his inability to accurately express his jumbled thoughts. Without a word, Law begins to stroke his back soothingly, not patronizing, just waiting with the endless patience that won Luffy’s heart in the first place as he figures out the point he’s trying to make.

Ever since the moment they met Sanji, he’s been feeding them. The chef’s love is shown in the care that he puts into making dinner each night, his subtle investigations to make sure he knows their likes, dislikes, aversions and allergies, the way he turns every holiday into an event of epic proportions, how he always makes sure that there is plenty on hand for them to eat even when he’s gone so that they know he’s still there, the lack of coincidence that whenever one of them is feeling down or homesick that he makes the food they like best, and that love is only exemplified on their birthdays when he pulls out all stops.

Everyone would be fine with just a plain cake but it was never left at just that because they all had their favorites and Sanji catered to them with individual creations. (Luffy doesn't have a single favorite like some of the others so Sanji is always changing the dessert he presents to Luffy. The first birthday Luffy had after his return to the family, he knew that Law intercepted Sanji before the cake was brought out to make sure there were no candles on his cake and it hasn’t been one since on any cake served to anyone in the family. On his first birthday shared with the family, Law had lit up at the coffee walnut cake made special for him.)

Sanji took over everything related to food in their collective lives, to the point where it’s almost unthinkable that anyone ever go into the kitchen in the family home with intentions to cook but Luffy knows that for all the love Sanji pours out to them with his food that same devotion never gets turned back onto himself. Luffy can’t recall a time where they’ve eaten food that was Sanji’s favorite nor if Sanji had ever made himself a cake for his birthday or he had always shared one with Franky which leads Luffy to believe that if it wasn’t for Franky’s birthday, Sanji might not have made a cake for himself at all.

Finally he spoke out loud, summing up his thoughts and intentions into one sentence that makes Law grin in response, already knowing instinctively what he’s planning, “If Sanji makes birthday cake for everyone, who makes it for him?”

—

His first attempt at frosting had been so sweet it made his own teeth hurt and the second had turned into a horrible lumpy mess so he had switched tracts to a cream cheese based frosting which allowed him to control the flavors easier. He had decided to add dark chocolate to make the flavor richer and made sure to taste as he went along so he could get the balance right. 

Content with the outcome, Luffy practically dumped the contents of the mixing bowl onto the sheet cake he’s made and cooled so he can spread the frosting out with a silicone spatula. It doesn't matter what it looks like right now because he’s only using it as a taste tester. 

His day of work at the docks had been easy-going and he’s calmed down a bit over the whole baking deal due to his recent string of successes so he’s feeling good overall, dancing to the music playing from the portable speaker while he makes a mess in the kitchen.

His mood brightened even more as Bepo ran to the front door to indicate that a car was pulling into the driveway, signaling the return of his husband from a shift at work, but Sunny stayed with Luffy in the kitchen, hounding for scraps that he’s not going to get because Luffy was dealing with chocolate. 

The front door unlocked then opened and there is an audibly fond sigh before Law complains, “I can smell the sugar from here. I know you’re having trouble selecting a winner but how much more cake are you going to make before you settle on one?”

“This is the last one I swear!” Luffy promised though his brow furrowed a second later, “I mean the last trial one, I still have to make the real one.”

Law emerged from the entryway, shoes and outer jacket left in the foyer, “What are we going to do with all this?”

Luffy grimaced as he looked at the cake he had made today and the four other cakes that he’s made in the past two days sitting on the counter, all different combinations of cake type and frostings, “Eat it?”

Law shook his head, slightly exasperated though only because he saw having that much cake in the house comprised of two people as an unneeded extravagance which wasn’t completely untrue. 

Yes, Luffy had gone a little out of hand but choosing the best cake to give to a chef was a lot of pressure! It would be completely redundant to get a dessert from a bakery and Sanji could never stand the idea of serving any kind of premade frosting or boxed mix which meant Luffy had to make everything from scratch which was fine in theory except Luffy had never made a whole cake from scratch before plus he didn’t trust himself to try and construct a tiered cake so he was stuck with a single layer of cake with frosting on top and he had to get it right! 

Besides it wasn’t as if his trial cakes would go to waste, Luffy was more than willing to eat the extras himself however his husband, the medical professional, didn’t enjoy the idea of Luffy eating four 9-by-13-inch cakes on his own between now and the time it took before the cakes went stale. 

Still, as Law approached the island, he opened his mouth obediently to accept the forkful of cake and frosting that Luffy held out for him to try. He chewed thoughtfully then complimented, “It’s nice, not overly sweet and it has a nice crumb. Which one is it?” 

“It’s the vanilla buttermilk cake from the second try with a dark chocolate cream cheese frosting!” Luffy answered, taking a single bite for himself before portioning out a whole slice to sample.

Law headed to the fridge to grab a drink to cleanse his palate, “I would say that’s the best one, though number four, the red velvet with cream cheese is a classic so either way you can’t go wrong.” 

Luffy scraped his fork through leftover frosting, “I think you’re right, the buttermilk really helped this one. It came out like tender, you know?” He started to clean up so he could begin making dinner, putting the lid on the cake pan, though Law washed his hands and grabbed a knife and a new mixing bowl to put on the counter, taking the lid off of cake test one, “What are you doing?”

Law cut the cake into four large sections, removing a section from the pan to start crumbling into pieces, “Cake doesn’t travel well so I’m making cake balls to give to our friends and coworkers which will stop you from eating yourself sick.” He bumped Luffy’s hip with his own in assurance, “Don’t worry, I’ll leave plenty for you to keep in the freezer to snack on at your leisure.”

Luffy gazed at his husband in open admiration and appreciation, “You’re so smart, babe.”

Law kept on with his mission of making cake balls, crumbling each cake up with its frosting before rolling them up into uniform balls to place on a parchment covered baking sheet to chill in the fridge while Luffy cooked them a quick dinner of stir fry, sharing exaggerated retelling of their workdays to make the other laugh as they did their tasks, music playing in the background and dogs underfoot the whole time. 

After dinner, they tag-teamed in taking the cake balls and dipping them in melted chocolate to put on a new baking sheet to be placed into the freezer. Luffy stuck his tongue out in concentration as he transferred a coated cake ball from his spoon to the baking sheet, glancing at his phone which was blowing up with messages from the Nami and Usopp who he had gotten to help him coordinate Sanji’s birthday celebration, “You think he’s gonna like the cake?”

Law rolled his eyes, absolutely enamored, “Sweetheart, you know that it’s always the thought that counts on gifts, he’s going to love that you did this for him.” He kissed Luffy, his breath huffing out warmly onto Luffy’s lips as he chuckled, “Although he may follow it up with brutal critiques.”

* * *

Taking the last turn, Luffy guided his car into a quiet cul-de-sac to come to a park in front of a small house. It was a classic country French styled home, one storied with lots of shuttered windows and a steeply pitched roof, positioned right on the top of a hill so that it overlooked the ocean below. 

Luffy turned the engine off, hopped out of the driver’s side to go around to the passenger seat to get the stuff he had placed in the floorboards. 

He put the two bags in the crook of his left elbow then picked up the covered cake pan to tuck against the same hip, leaving his right hand free to shut the door and press the lock button on his key fob. He made his way up the walkway, admiring the blooming irises and snowdrops as he passed. At the front door, he fumbled with his key ring, thumbing through the multitude of house keys he had been gifted over the years until he found the one he was looking for and unlocked the door. 

He guessed, technically, he should knock instead of just letting himself in, but he didn’t want to make too much noise since he wasn’t sure if anyone was sleeping and besides, why would they give him a key if they didn’t want him to use it?

He toed his shoes off in the entryway, shuffling in his socks over the tile floor into the grand room. It was a beautiful house, all stucco walls and brightly patterned tile, large french doors leading out to the backyard with perfect views of the ocean, all different types of plants everywhere, perfuming the air along with warm spices.

Sanji was seated on the couch, seemingly absorbed in watching the rolling waves crash on the shore below though he turned to look at Luffy when he walked in. 

“Happy belated birthday. I brought cake and presents for both of you.” Luffy greeted softly, smiling as he walked over the kitchen area. “Don’t get up, I’ve been here enough to know my way around. Where’s mama?”

“Resting.” Sanji replied in the same hushed tone that Luffy spoke in. 

“Good.” Luffy hummed, placing the bags and the cake pan on the 10 foot floating island big enough to seat eight people, the countertop made up of a gorgeous slab of granite. It was a huge kitchen- of course it was, considering who owned it- the focal point of the whole grand room, large windows over the double sinks to look out on the ocean, outfitted with all the things that Sanji had always wanted in a kitchen but never got to have in the family house: three ovens, a proving drawer, a range hood, pot filler faucet, a massive stove and an equally large refrigerator, with a walk in pantry and glass enclosed wine cellar to the side. He easily navigated the cabinets to grab two small plates and pulled out forks and a slice server from the silverware drawer. 

Sanji, observing Luffy with rapt attention as he moved around the holy kitchen, asked, “Where’s your man?”

“He took a shift today, I don’t mind since I was coming over here anyway.” Luffy cut pieces of the cake to slide onto the plates, “You know him, he doesn’t ‘like to impose’. I guess he just figured you’d be having a lot of people running in and out of your house lately and thought it’d be less crowded if I came by myself.”

“Ever thoughtful.” Sanji mused while Luffy carried the two plates over to the coffee table in front of the couch, placing them down before returning back to the kitchen to retrieve the napkins and forks he had gathered, “Grab something to drink. I think there’s a Riesling opened or you could grab a Moscato or hell even the rye whiskey, we are celebrating after all.”

Luffy took down two white wine glasses from the hanging rack to pour the opened Riesling into, grinning, “That’s one of the reasons I married him in the first place. Handsome, rich and sweet seemed to be a rare combination so I figured I’d take him off the dating scene before someone else did.”

Sanji grinned back, “Smart choice.”

Luffy shoved all the silverware and napkins into the pocket of his cardigan so he had both hands free to carry the glasses. 

Sanji was inspecting the cake that Luffy had made for him with a critical eye, prodding at it with a fork before taking a bite, “Your jam was too thick, you needed to microwave it then stir it until it was smooth. As is, it's clumpy so the ratio of jam to the rest of the batter isn’t evenly distributed.”

He rolled his eyes, sipping the wine, “Whatever, I’m not the chef of the family. I’m just the substitute.” He placed his glass on the coffee table so he could grab his own plate to eat from. It was a single layer vanilla bean cake swirled with a blackberry jam and topped with white chocolate frosting. He guessed Sanji was right about the jam however after faithfully making cakes for Sanji’s birthday for the past six years it was a testament to his growing skills as a baker that he was able to work with some more delicate flavors with success so he was pretty proud of it overall. 

They chatted in hushed tones to not wake the other two members of the house as they finished their drinks and dessert. Luffy bullied Sanji into letting him do the dishes alone, encouraging the other man to continue resting on the couch and take advantage of Luffy while he was around. When he finished putting the dishes away and wiping down the island top, he carried the two gift bags over to the couch. 

He held out both bags for Sanji to take, “Happy Belated Birthday, sorry that we couldn't celebrate the day of but you’ve been pretty busy the last nine days.”

Sanji sighed, looking incredibly tired yet elated at the same time, pulling tissue paper out of the larger bag, “Yes, we have.”

Luffy giggled a bit, “It’s crazy, isn’t it?” He whispered in a voice that sounded fond even to his own ears as he leaned over to peer into the bassinet positioned by the couch, “356 days in a year and this little girl decides to be born the same day as you.”

“That’s okay,” Sanji murmured, reaching over to run a gentle hand over the soft blankets bundling his newborn daughter, “I don’t mind sharing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've actually met a family where the father and the daughter share the same birth date and I thought that would be a great thing for Sanji to help cope with the trauma of his birth family.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for all the support and I'll see you next week!


End file.
